M8 - Mitchelstown to Fermoy

BluntGuy

Thanks, Steviemak... although it must be said that Furet did a good 90% of the updating!

I can't promise anything with the M7/M8 scheme. I'll try and get up there every now and again to take a few snaps...

If the M20 ever starts, then it's garunteed you'll see updates and shots nearly everyday!

Sean_Ludawg

M8 - Mitchelstown to Fermoy open today!
Way ahead of schedule! It will be like a dream come true for me I live 5 mins away from where everyone was forced off while it was being built so its really accessible. I'm thinking Cork in <40 mins?

Amtmann

I guess it's officially open now...signs are probably flying up at the junctions right at this very moment. Gonna go for a cruise on it this evening at about 7 o'clock.

Anyone else taking a spin on it today??

Amtmann

New motorway section for Co Cork


A new stretch of motorway linking Fermoy and Mitchelstown in Co Cork has opened this afternoon.
The motorway which cost €174 million involved construction of 16 km of dual carriageway, with three grade separated junctions, three riverbridges and seven road bridges.
Construction on the road, which runs between Carrigane north of Mitchelstown and Moorepark north of Fermoy, began in December 2007.
The road, which is funded under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, is opening nine months ahead of schedule.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey officially opened the road to traffic at a ceremony today. He said the completion of the project represented the achievement of a number of important targets.

"This road has opened nine months ahead of target, it provides improved access to the region, improved road safety and it is a further significant step towards the development of the entirety of the Cork-Dublin motorway identified in the NDP 2007-2013 and Transport 21," he said.

"The benefits of this scheme to the whole region will be very significant. Expected travel times for motorists will be reduced by up to 10 minutes saving time and hassle. The improved accessibility of the region will stimulate further development and economic activity and it will also improve access to recreational and cultural facilities."
It is expected that 16,000 vehicles will use the road every day and that it will cut at least 10 minutes off average journey times from Cork to Dublin.
Just 14km of the M8 remains unopened to traffic and the final link is on schedule for completion next year.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0525/breaking21.htm

Sean_Ludawg

Furet wrote: »

I guess it's officially open now...signs are probably flying up at the junctions right at this very moment. Gonna go for a cruise on it this evening at about 7 o'clock.

Anyone else taking a spin on it today??

Ya for sure! You from around the area? I just went down 16:00 but it was still shut though

Amtmann

Not from the area but it's a corridor I'm extremely well acquainted with. I'd say it'll be 5 before it's open. There was a lot of last minute tidying and signing to do. I reckon I'll zip up and down it at least three or four times this evening.

I taught my younger brother to drive on it last Saturday, so I've seen it already, but we were going very slowly.

D'Peoples Voice

Furet wrote: »

Not from the area but it's a corridor I'm extremely well acquainted with. I'd say it'll be 5 before it's open. There was a lot of last minute tidying and signing to do. I reckon I'll zip up and down it at least three or four times this evening.

I taught my younger brother to drive on it last Saturday, so I've seen it already, but we were going very slowly.

ah, thats why your car broke down since

Rowley Birkin QC

I've only driven it in tractors and dumpers so far, along with one sneaky high speed run when I was finishing work one evening but heading home tomorrow so will see the finished product. Still very very strange seeing a motorway sign with Kilbeheny mentioned on it!

KevR

AA Roadwatch wrote:

*CORK* The M8 Fermoy to Mitchelstown Rd was officially opened by Minister Noel Dempsey at 2:30pm and the new section of motorway is now open to general traffic.

Amtmann

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

ah, thats why your car broke down since

Well, no - but it would have been awkward to say the least if it had broken down there on Saturday!

Sean_Ludawg

Furet wrote: »

Not from the area but it's a corridor I'm extremely well acquainted with. I'd say it'll be 5 before it's open. There was a lot of last minute tidying and signing to do. I reckon I'll zip up and down it at least three or four times this evening.

I taught my younger brother to drive on it last Saturday, so I've seen it already, but we were going very slowly.

It's very nice! I just got from the Dublin side of Mitchelstown to Fermoy in 7 mins. Unbelivevable! I felt a bit of crosswinds in a few sections but apart from that it's very easy driving!
Let me know what you think

D.L.R.

What changes to the N73/Mitch relief road?

Amtmann

NRA Press Release:

The M8 Fermoy to Mitchelstown scheme opens today (25/05/09) 9 months ahead of schedule. At a cost of €174m this 16km motorway came in on budget and was funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, with part funding by the European Union from the Trans – European Transport Networks Budget.
The scheme:

• Runs between Carrigane north of Mitchelstown and Moorepark north of Fermoy in county Cork
• Cuts at least 10 mins. off average journey times from Cork to Dublin
• Will be used by 16,000 vehicles per day

The scheme was officially opened by the Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D., who, in welcoming the project said:

“Completion of this particular project represents the achievement of a number of important targets. This road has opened 9 months ahead of target, it provides improved access to the region, improved road safety and it is a further significant step towards the development of the entirety of the Cork-Dublin motorway identified in the NDP 2007-2013 and Transport 21.
Even in these times of significant economic constraint this Government is determined to continue with our roads building programme. This year alone we are spending almost €2 billion on our national, regional and local roads building programme. This year eight major road projects, totalling 156 km of dual carriageway, will open to traffic delivering safer more efficient journey times for motorists.
The benefits of this scheme to the whole region will be very significant. Expected travel times for motorists will be reduced by up to 10 minutes saving time and hassle. The improved accessibility of the region will stimulate further development and economic activity and it will also improve access to recreational and cultural facilities. Very importantly, the new road development will eliminate the potential for head-on collisions as a result of overtaking manoeuvres.”

Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority, said:

“The opening of the M8 Fermoy to Mitchelstown project is an exciting stage as it almost completes the main Dublin to Cork corridor.
Just 14km of the M8 remains unopened to traffic but the final link is on schedule for completion next year. There is now 77 km of continuous modern roadway from Dublin to south of Portlaoise and 130km from Cullahill in County Laois to the Dunkettle Interchange in Cork.
Travel times between the two cities have been greatly reduced, road safety enhanced and access between the regions considerably improved.
This will provide a much needed boost for the country’s commercial and industrial sectors. Tourism will also be a winner as tourists from home and abroad will enjoy a safer and shorter journey with certainty of travel time.
In these difficult economic conditions the National Roads Authority remains committed to delivering national road schemes on time and on budget. All five inter-city links connecting Dublin with Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and the Border will be open to traffic next year providing the country with a top class national road infrastructure.”

Please click here to view a map of scheme

For further information contact:
Sean O’Neill Head of Communications NRA
086 8230600

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,16181,en.html

Sean_Ludawg

D.L.R. wrote: »

What changes to the N73/Mitch relief road?

The Mitchelstown Bypass? None as far as I know. You get onto the M8 either just before or just after Mitchelstown.

Amtmann

Six One News is about to cover the story.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

Six One News is about to cover the story.

And has done so dreadfully.

D.L.R.

D.L.R. wrote:

What changes to the N73/Mitch relief road?

Sean_Ludawg wrote: »

The Mitchelstown Bypass? None as far as I know. You get onto the M8 either just before or just after Mitchelstown.

No I mean how does the N73 link into the M8? I'm guessing part of the old bypass is now the N73. Its no longer the N8 after all.

Victor

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Should the N73 continue to "Dublin" or "Cork"?

BluntGuy

D.L.R. wrote: »

No I mean how does the N73 link into the M8? I'm guessing part of the old bypass is now the N73. Its no longer the N8 after all.

Quick, crude map:

(Orange - N73)
(Blue - M8)
(Pink - R639)

corktina

Dublin from my perspective....(although the "old" bypass could also be considerd to be the Tipperary road now)...noone from mallow/north cork would be heading to Cork on that road....all would be going towards Dublin.

corktina

so will the N73 section of the bypass be uprated to 100k in BOTH directions now? up til this week it was signed 100k towards Dublin and 80 back the other way...

D.L.R.

ah good man blunt guy thats just what I thought.

Carrigman

Great to see the section open.

Thanks are due to all who updated us on the progress and in particular to Furet who should be awarded the title Hero Of The Boards for his contributions.

Regards,

John

BluntGuy

corktina wrote: »

Dublin from my perspective....(although the "old" bypass could also be considerd to be the Tipperary road now)...noone from mallow/north cork would be heading to Cork on that road....all would be going towards Dublin.

In an ideal situation it would be signed:

N73 (M8) - Dublin
- Cahir
(R639) -
Skeheenarinky

I imagine they'll just leave the "N8" signage there though... :mad:

Also Corktina, I'd imagine that it's unlikely they'll be upping the speed limit now. In fact, its more probable they'll actually lower the speed limit since not only has the N8 become N73, it is also now the R639 as well.

Chris_533976

BluntGuy wrote: »

And has done so dreadfully.

Yeah it was dire. They got the number of PPPs compeletly wrong (he said three, there are five), and referred to the Arklow/Newlands one as two separate tenders. Absolute tripe.

Anyone else notice that every video they had from the inside of a car was filmed while driving the wrong way down the wrong carriageway?

BluntGuy

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Yeah it was dire. They got the number of PPPs compeletly wrong (he said three, there are five), and referred to the Arklow/Newlands one as two separate tenders. Absolute tripe.

Noel Dempsey didn't seem to have a clue what he was talking about either. What was he going on about when he said the motorways were done, and the next projects they'll be going onto won't be motorways but they'll be the other roads that need to be err... done and they will be finished and we will have high quality roadway, or some ****e like that. Such incoherent dribble from the man who's meant to know Irish transport inside out.

Anyone else notice that every video they had from the inside of a car was filmed while driving the wrong way down the wrong carriageway?

Yes, and I could've screamed when she said "the N8", at the end...

Eugh... it's M8.

M8

It frustrates me because it just serves to confuse people calling roads too many different things.

Victor

corktina wrote: »

so will the N73 section of the bypass be uprated to 100k in BOTH directions now? up til this week it was signed 100k towards Dublin and 80 back the other way...

I presume that down to road layout (slower speed approaching town / junction), not anything else.

Irish and Proud

BluntGuy wrote: »

And has done so dreadfully.

...as RTE always do! :mad:

Tech3

Thanks for all the updates Furet in every stage of this scheme. The coverage of photo updates you done was absolutely remarkable. The new stretch looks fantastic! I also saw the RTE news coverage and was absolute rubbish. Anyone who wants to know about these things should log on here to see some excellent photos. Looking forward to driving the new stretch.

Tech3

Irish and Proud wrote: »

...as RTE always do! :mad:

Well to be honest at least they did, TV3 didnt show any report about it. I find it a disgrace IMO that infrastructure as vital as this doesnt cover enough media attention