M8 motorway (general thread)

summer11

I must agree with some earlier posts.

This design, surface and alignment of the road is very poor.

The toll booths are always backed up - lucky that I have a tag.

Our man in Havana

It is an awful pity that people won't go thru the automatic lanes at a sensible speed. Manys the time I am behind some idiot that slows down to 20 mph thru the express lanes.

Chris_5339762

Speed limit is 50kmh through the entire toll complex, express lanes or not.

Our man in Havana

Not enforced of course.

L1011

I've seen a Garda car checking speed through the express lane on the M1 SB but the layout of that plaza facilitates that better...

Our man in Havana

It would be interesting to see if there are traffic orders for those speed limits.

L1011

As the M1 toll was opened and originally operated by the state, it has the most chance of any of them of having them, I'd expect.

(for those that don't remember, the current toll operater built the untolled Dundalk western bypass for the right to take over the toll and the responsibility to operate the entire motorway between the bit it built and the tolled bit)

Amtmann

The toll plaza at the M7/M8 has a concrete barrier running right through it, cutting off the north and southbound carriageways. I normally go through it at 80km/h.

At Fermoy, however, there is no division between the carriageways, and staff can wander across the express lane sometimes, so you always have to take it handy there (that plus the express barrier is extremely lethargic at Fermoy, so you have to slow down).

Carawaystick

MYOB wrote: »

As the M1 toll was opened and originally operated by the state, it has the most chance of any of them of having them, I'd expect.

(for those that don't remember, the current toll operater built the untolled Dundalk western bypass for the right to take over the toll and the responsibility to operate the entire motorway between the bit it built and the tolled bit)

I thought the Drogheda bypass section was always ppp, and the Dundalk bypass section was joined onto the scheme after.

The limit through the toll on the M1 was reduced last year, there was no limit reduction before they re-designed some of the approaches to the pike. The signs were with a grey instead of red border and advisory only

L1011

Carawaystick wrote: »

I thought the Drogheda bypass section was always ppp, and the Dundalk bypass section was joined onto the scheme after.

Nope. Scenario was as I said above, state built the Drogheda bypass / bridge and tolled it itself (with NTR operating the booths as they still do for CRG).

CRG didn't even sign the PPP contract until a few months after the state toll opened

http://nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ProjectTracker/N1M1DundalkWesternBy-Pass/

Amtmann

As expected here, traffic on the Fermoy Bypass increased last year with the completion of the Mitchelstown-Fermoy section of the M8:

Profits rise 40% for Cork toll operator

By Gordon Deegan - Thursday, September 02, 2010

THE private operator of the tolled €295 million Rathcormac to Fermoy bypass in County Cork had a 40% increase in operating profits, to €7.6 million, last year.

Accounts filed by Directroute (Fermoy) with the Companies Registration Office show the firm’s operating profits increased from €5.5m to €7.6m to the end of December.

The accounts do not provide the revenues generated by the tolled route, which costs motorists €1.90 and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) €6.

The road was constructed by Directroute Fermoy as part of a public private partnership (PPP) and opened in October 2006, eliminating one of the country’s worst bottlenecks.

The bypass provides motorists with 33km of dual carriageway and removed 17,000 vehicles a day away from Fermoy town centre, taking 30 minutes off peak time journeys.

According to the directors’ report, "revenues increased as anticipated in 2009 due to the completion of the Mitchelstown bypass in May 2009".

It said: "Further increases are expected in 2010 as the company will benefit from a full year of revenue following the opening of the Mitchelstown bypass."

It stated: "The project has been funded to a large extent by bank loans, which leads to a particular exposure to credit and interest rate risk.

"This is managed in non-speculative manner by appropriate hedging arrangements with a view to maximising shareholder value."

A Directroute consortium recently completed the tolled €810m Shannon tunnel in Limerick, where it costs motorists €1.80 to use the tunnel.

Directroute is to operate the Rathcormac-Fermoy bypass up to 2034, when it will be handed over to the National Roads Authority (NRA).

The accounts show Directroute (Fermoy) pre-tax profits were €536,949, following a pre-tax loss of €1.76m in 2008.

The accounts show accumulated losses of €13.5m at the end of December.

The accounts show the toll road asset was valued at €172.7m at the end of December after depreciation was taken into account.

The Fermoy bypass is one of 10 PPP schemes undertaken by Government, which also includes the Shannon tunnel.

Directroute (Fermoy) is owned by Irish construction companies Lagan, Roadbridge and Sisk and international companies Kellogg Root and Browne (KBR), along with the Bank of Scotland and First Irish Infrastructure Fund.

http://www.examiner.ie/text/business/kfcwsnojgbcw/

Chris_5339762

Not at all surprised. It was so easy to just stay on the bad roads and avoid the Fermoy bypass in the pre-most-of-the-M8 days. But now you have to actually come off the thing, which is harder to do as you've been hammering it at 120 up until then.

Stark

They've also had roadworks in Fermoy and Rathcormac for the past few months which slow you down a good bit if you try and take the old route. Even if I was just travelling from Mitchelstown to Glanmire these days, I'd take the toll route to avoid them.

Stinicker

Furet wrote: »

As expected here, traffic on the Fermoy Bypass increased last year with the completion of the Mitchelstown-Fermoy section of the M8:


http://www.examiner.ie/text/business/kfcwsnojgbcw/

The M8 has become the route of choice to Dublin and Northern Ireland for people travelling up from large parts of South & East Kerry which will probably drop off a few percentile points when the M7 and CastleIsland bypass is fully opened diverting the traffic up via Limerick instead.

I myself will continue to use the M8 via Cork City and the Jack Lynch Tunnel as it is the fastest route although slightly longer than taking the N72 via Mallow & Mitchelstown but via the Jack Lynch tunnel is a superior road.

Amtmann

Cantilever foundations have been installed at junction 8 (southbound), and junctions 17 and 18 (north- and southbound).

Stinicker

Furet wrote: »

Cantilever foundations have been installed at junction 8 (southbound), and junctions 17 and 18 (north- and southbound).

Any speculation as to what these would be for Furet?

Chris_5339762

Cantilevers

Chris_5339762

Ryanair has reduced its Cork - Dublin flights from 2 per day to 1 per day. Methinks the M8 is trashing the route.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1117/ryanair.html

Stinicker

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Ryanair has reduced its Cork - Dublin flights from 2 per day to 1 per day. Methinks the M8 is trashing the route.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1117/ryanair.html

Ryanair is reducing flights all over, the M8 would be factor alright but the biggest factor would be the fact that people are like rabbits caught in the headlights at the moment totally frozen with fear so unnecessary journeys are not been taken. A Diesel Car on the Motorway is the most efficent and cheapest method between the two cities at the moment.

Amtmann

Construction has started on the McDonalds-Topaz service area at junction 8 (Cashel). I'll take some pictures once structures are started. Bulk earthworks going on at present.

JupiterKid

Furet wrote: »

Construction has started on the McDonalds-Topaz service area at junction 8 (Cashel). I'll take some pictures once structures are started. Bulk earthworks going on at present.

Finally! Why was it held up for so long? It's badly needed.

Amtmann

Foundations for emergency phones have been installed at last along the Glanmire and Watergrasshill bypasses.

I've noticed a serious deterioration in the cats eye quality from junction 9 to junction 14 in the past few weeks. Loads of duds.

KevR

Furet wrote: »

I've noticed a serious deterioration in the cats eye quality from junction 9 to junction 14 in the past few weeks. Loads of duds.

Was that section plowed during the cold spell? Just wondering if some of the cat's eyes could have been damaged by snow plows..

Could be my imagination but I did think that cat's eyes elsewhere weren't as bright during the cold spell. I think there may have been a little bit of frost on them at times which reduced the reflectiveness.

Amtmann

KevR wrote: »

Was that section plowed during the cold spell? Just wondering if some of the cat's eyes could have been damaged by snow plows..

Could be my imagination but I did think that cat's eyes elsewhere weren't as bright during the cold spell. I think there may have been a little bit of frost on them at times which reduced the reflectiveness.

No snow ploughs along that section to my knowledge as the snow never really built up there at all.

Amtmann

Just some photos from today, Wednesday 12 January:

Teddy455

Has construction started on the service are between junctions 13 and 14 yet?

Amtmann

No, the plans haven't even been released. That won't be built for years. The service area at Cashel photographed above is a private, non-NRA one.

Teddy455

is the service are at junction 8 off the roundabout?
will there be signposts fr it on the m8?

Amtmann

Teddy455 wrote: »

is the service are at junction 8 off the roundabout?
will there be signposts fr it on the m8?

Location is correct. J8. I think a large tripod will be erected on site, visible from the motorway, in addition to brown, non-descript NRA signs. There won't be a proper cantilever sign saying 'services' like you have on the M1 and M4 though.

Teddy455

Why didn't they build a road from cork to dublin without having to join a road from limerick?

In dublin on junctions going onto the N7 there is only limerick on the signs without mentioning cork.

As it is the second biggest city in the country with more than double the population of limerick. Why does limerick get the priority?

There is also way more towns on the M8 from Portlaoise than the M7 fromm portlaoise
M8:Abbeyleix, Urlingford, Thurles, Cashel, Cahir, Mitchelstown and Fermoy.
M7:Roscrea and Nenagh.