M7/M8 Portlaoise-Castletown-Cullahill Motorway (incl. Abbeyleix Bypass)

Rovi

There's a lot of 'tidying-up' going on at the Portlaoise end of the scheme, with crash barriers, gantries for signs, noise barriers, landscaping, etc, etc, going on.
We (former) landowners have been told to check on our accommodation works to see that they are complete and to our satisfaction whilst there are still men and machinery nearby to make corrections/adjustments.

No sign of any line painting yet though.

El_Duderino 09

munchkin_utd wrote: »

its possibly somewhere earlier on the 40 pages of this thread, but why is this section opening pretty much after the rest of the entire Cork and Limerick Motorways?

With it being a toll road was it not in the interest of the people getting the tolls to have this up and running long ago?

Betwixt yoursel and mesel meiner alten freund, there was a meeting held probably a year ago, at which Bam said they were well ahead of schedule and could complete the job well ahead of time and get the Toll up and running, if they got a slightly higher cut of the Tolls. NRA told the to go fly a kite and Bam responded by letting people go to slow the job and complete it as per the agreement, concentrating on the M8 which was near completion in other places anyway.

There is a section open bypassing Nenagh and thats it to limerick so it made sense to finish the M8 first to have a complete road.

Does anyone know where any other toll plazas will be along the Dublin Limerick M7 will be if any?

fresca

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Does anyone know where any other toll plazas will be along the Dublin Limerick M7 will be if any?

There shall be only one toll plaza between dublin and limerick.
That's the one on the Portlaoise-Castletown-Cullahill scheme.

Danno

Seen a motorbike on the un-opened M8 today. The new roundabouts at Ballacolla are opened. Crash barriers were sparkling in the sunlight near the N8/M8 merge. May BH weekend is still touted as the opening date as I revealed a while back

munchkin_utd

Spot the difference,
1st quote is N7/N8 junction
2nd is the N4/ N6 junction

If the signs/ lane arrangements are the same on the M7/M8 split as on the M4/ M6, Cork drivers will have the same fun as Galway drivers trying to avoid missing where the road splits!!
Well......
its not a split or interchange like you would have in any other country.

Because the Limerick road has a lower number, its obviously the mainline.
Because trafic between Irelands first and second cities is on a higher numbered road, somewhat counter intuitively has to leave the "mainline" and is given shag all time to do so.

The solution is (would have been) to have both roads considered equal priority and have long demerge sections with 3 or 4 lanes.

Best of all if you miss the split (err sorry junction) for the start of the Cork Motorway, you cannot go back on the motorway as theres no way to get from the N7 northbound to M8 southbound except to go cross country!!

Will I ring Joe Duffy now or just leave it till half of cork misses the turn?

Rovi wrote: »

Right, I got out for an hour or two on Saturday, and got a few new photographs up at the N7 end and around the M7-M8 interchange.

Over the divider between the southbound M7 and southbound M8, looking N.E. towards Dublin.
This is where the motorways split heading southbound:

oddiot wrote: »

Stark

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Best of all if you miss the split (err sorry junction) for the start of the Cork Motorway, you cannot go back on the motorway as theres no way to get from the N7 northbound to M8 southbound except to go cross country!!

Will I ring Joe Duffy now or just leave it till half of cork misses the turn?

I can picture the mayhem already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKphZPYequk

Roryhy

^^^id hate to be stuck in the car with them^^^

veryangryman

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Spot the difference,
1st quote is N7/N8 junction
2nd is the N4/ N6 junction

If the signs/ lane arrangements are the same on the M7/M8 split as on the M4/ M6, Cork drivers will have the same fun as Galway drivers trying to avoid missing where the road splits!!
Well......
its not a split or interchange like you would have in any other country.

Because the Limerick road has a lower number, its obviously the mainline.
Because trafic between Irelands first and second cities is on a higher numbered road, somewhat counter intuitively has to leave the "mainline" and is given shag all time to do so.

The solution is (would have been) to have both roads considered equal priority and have long demerge sections with 3 or 4 lanes.

Best of all if you miss the split (err sorry junction) for the start of the Cork Motorway, you cannot go back on the motorway as theres no way to get from the N7 northbound to M8 southbound except to go cross country!!

Will I ring Joe Duffy now or just leave it till half of cork misses the turn?

Oh dear god! Having to leave the Motorway. What an atrosity.

Lads i really dont see the point of fearing non-motorway roads. Pointless TBH

Also anyone who misses these IMO well signposted turnoffs shouldnt be driving on the road. You would fail your driving test for being so unobservant

Hogzy

veryangryman wrote: »

Oh dear god! Having to leave the Motorway. What an atrosity.

Lads i really dont see the point of fearing non-motorway roads. Pointless TBH

Also anyone who misses these IMO well signposted turnoffs shouldnt be driving on the road. You would fail your driving test for being so unobservant

In all fairness though the lanes leading up to the split are very short, I guarantee you you'll find people slowing to 60kph on it expecting a bloody roundabout or something!

EDIT: as a matter of interest how long will the merging lane be for traffic heading North from M8 onto the M7? I presume there will be 2 filter lanes, I hope they dont design them similar to the way theyre designed on the N25 if coming off the Mahon Point slip road heading west. 2 lanes merge with the n25 together WAYYYYYYY to fast as people in the right lane of the slip dont pull off onto the n25 till the last minute forcing the people in the left slip lane to either break or drive on the hard shoulder

roosterman71

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Spot the difference,
1st quote is N7/N8 junction
2nd is the N4/ N6 junction

If the signs/ lane arrangements are the same on the M7/M8 split as on the M4/ M6, Cork drivers will have the same fun as Galway drivers trying to avoid missing where the road splits!!
Well......
its not a split or interchange like you would have in any other country.

Because the Limerick road has a lower number, its obviously the mainline.
Because trafic between Irelands first and second cities is on a higher numbered road, somewhat counter intuitively has to leave the "mainline" and is given shag all time to do so.

The solution is (would have been) to have both roads considered equal priority and have long demerge sections with 3 or 4 lanes.

Best of all if you miss the split (err sorry junction) for the start of the Cork Motorway, you cannot go back on the motorway as theres no way to get from the N7 northbound to M8 southbound except to go cross country!!

Will I ring Joe Duffy now or just leave it till half of cork misses the turn?

I have to agree with the angry man. Read the signs, get a map, use a sat nav. Christ its not that difficult to get around the country. Its pretty much the same junction as the M7/M9 split, and the M4/M6. It ain't the end of the world if you miss it. We're blessed with countless boreens to rectify your mistake.

How many lanes should there be? Should we have a picture of Roy keane on the cork road, and Willie o'Dea for Limerick? Perhaps we could hire people to shout using megaphones telling people where to turn.

Stark

Roryhy wrote: »

^^^id hate to be stuck in the car with them^^^

Would be no harm if they never found their way back to Cork.

Hogzy

Stark wrote: »

Would be no harm if they never found their way back to Cork.

They'd be stuck with ye in Dublin then!!!

Wait i shouldnt be saying this im from Cork
They do seem like right planks though

munchkin_utd

roosterman71 wrote: »

How many lanes should there be?

Should we have a picture of Roy keane on the cork road, and Willie o'Dea for Limerick? Perhaps we could hire people to shout using megaphones telling people where to turn.

3 or 4 lanes, but the Limerick bound and Cork bound traffic should have enough time and space to separate and go their own way.

i.e., like this here in Holland(as posted on the N4 thread):
Note the multiple overhead gantries and length of road that you have to get into lane. No excuse for cutting in from the mainline overtaking lane to the "slip" lane.

etchyed

I agree with munchkin. The M7/M8 junction is essentially the motorway splitting in two. It shouldn't appear the same to the motorist as an exit for a small town. If you're driving from Dublin to Cork on the main Dublin-Cork road (which the M7 IS until the M8 leaves it) it's not ideal to have the M7/M8 split look like just another small exit.

We're not the first country in the world to build motorways; in fact in the developed world we're probably one of the last. In the rest of Europe such a major motorway split wouldn't be so badly handled. Why can't we learn from that without adopting a "sure it'll do" attitude?

Rovi

Hogzy wrote: »

EDIT: as a matter of interest how long will the merging lane be for traffic heading North from M8 onto the M7? I presume there will be 2 filter lanes, I hope they dont design them similar to the way theyre designed on the N25 if coming off the Mahon Point slip road heading west. 2 lanes merge with the n25 together WAYYYYYYY to fast as people in the right lane of the slip dont pull off onto the n25 till the last minute forcing the people in the left slip lane to either break or drive on the hard shoulder

Here's another picture from my post quoted above:

The M8->M7 merge on the left looks to be about the same length as the M7->M8 diverge on the right.

Amtmann

Any lines or signs up?

Hogzy

Again that is crazy! Your essentially going to have 2 lanes merging at the same time into one lane. Then again i suppose it is a problem that would occur if there was heavy congestion but surely after a few years of the completed motorway being in place the number of people driving to and from dublin will increase as its the quickest way.

IMO that Merge onto the M7 should be much longer. God forbid the day a Munster Match is being played in Lansdowne Road and the M7/8 is crawling with cars!:rolleyes:

Steviemak

veryangryman wrote: »

Also anyone who misses these IMO well signposted turnoffs shouldnt be driving on the road. You would fail your driving test for being so unobservant

Well signposted - is that a joke! The above sign is first signpost for the Galway turn-off - a few hundred yards before the junction and just a few hundred yards after the Kinnegad turn-off. That is totally unacceptable signposting as it gives a driver at 120Kph very little time for a maneuver if trucks or other cars are being overtaken at the time.

Rovi

Furet wrote: »

Any lines or signs up?

Not up at the N7 end anyway.
There are a lot of foundations for signs along the route and there are some bare gantries near the toll plaza, but no sign of any lining or reflectors/catseyes.

There's a LOT of tidying up and landscaping going on.


Here's a snippet from the current Leinster Express:
http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/New-motorways-to-take-their.6137059.jp

New motorways to take their toll

Published Date: 10 March 2010
By Staff Reporter

TOLL charges were "simply another tax," claimed Cllr Matt Keegan at Portlaoise Town Council monthly meeting last week.

Deputy Co Manager Gerry Gibson had informed him that the tolls on the motorways currently under construction would be 90 cents for motor cycles, €1.80 for cars, €3.20 for light goods vehicles, €4.40 for two/three axle vehicles and €5.70 for four axle vehicles. The Portlaoise/Cullahill motorway was expected to open in June/July, the Manager stated, and the Portlaoise/Castetown route was scheduled to open in November. Cllr Brian Stanley said the public had paid €340m euros (84%) towards the €450m cost of the two new motorways. In addition, over the next 30 years, they would have to pay another €450m in tolls, bringing their total contribution to almost €800m, he calculated.

So, it looks like they're going to open it in two parts, the M8 leg first.

Chris_5339762

How would you go to the current N7 if the M7 bit isnt opened? As far as I can this scheme is inescapable when going west, you'd be forced down the M8. What junction would you come off at to continue down the current N7? In any case it would be very messy unless you want all N7 traffic to go on a trip through Portlaoise.

BluntGuy

, it looks like they're going to open it in two parts, the M8 leg first.

Looks like I may have been correct.

Posted by me, back in '08:

BluntGuy wrote: »

Personally, I think that there will be a partial opening of the scheme (M8 - 13 km) before it all opens.

roosterman71

I have to agree that opening the M8 first is a bit weird.

Currently, you veer off the M7 to go to Cork via the N8. Traffic travelling to Limerick will no need to get off in Portlaoise while the Cork traffic carry on. And if you miss your turn off for Limerick, the next off ramp is outside Rathdowney.

If the M7 section opened first, the Cork traffic would still turn off as they currently do onto the N8 in portlaoise. While Limerick traffic carried on through the toll to Borris In Ossory.

nordydan

roosterman71 wrote: »

I have to agree that opening the M8 first is a bit weird.

Currently, you veer off the M7 to go to Cork via the N8. Traffic travelling to Limerick will no need to get off in Portlaoise while the Cork traffic carry on. And if you miss your turn off for Limerick, the next off ramp is outside Rathdowney.

If the M7 section opened first, the Cork traffic would still turn off as they currently do onto the N8 in portlaoise. While Limerick traffic carried on through the toll to Borris In Ossory.

Dosagree, Abbeyleix is a bigger bottleneck than Mountrath and the M8 scheme will be then complete. I would imagine patching will be in place for a few months

Stark

That and we can't be threatening the M7's status as the Never Opening Road.

fresca

Stark wrote: »

That and we can't be threatening the M7's status as the Never Opening Road.

maybe there's a big "plan" (???) to open nenagh - portlaoise as one section?

AlanD

fresca wrote: »

maybe there's a big "plan" (???) to open nenagh - portlaoise as one section?

well it's not entirely a crazy idea. If the two spurs of the M7/M8 opened together, then motorists going to Limerick would pay a toll and almost straight away have to go off a Borris-in-ossory to get on the old N7 as far as Nenagh. Who in their right mind would pay a toll for 16 miles or so of extra road?

fresca

AlanD wrote: »

well it's not entirely a crazy idea. If the two spurs of the M7/M8 opened together, then motorists going to Limerick would pay a toll and almost straight away have to go off a Borris-in-ossory to get on the old N7 as far as Nenagh. Who in their right mind would pay a toll for 16 miles or so of extra road?

i think if they do open nenagh-portloaise (M7) as one section, it is going to be more by accident than by design.

i agree that kerry/limerick traffic will not pay the toll for the few miles of roadway...

Amtmann

The first thing to say is that the estimates quoted by Rovi seem to be wrong. The road will open sometime in late May or early June - I think that's a cert, tbh.

Also, I see no reason why the M7 leg should have to open later than the M8 leg. Looking at Roosterman's pictures from almost 3 months ago, many M7 sections were, even then, substantially complete.

So I'm minded to disregard rumours of a sectional opening for now.

By the way - MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!!

roosterman71

The M7 will open to Borris In Ossory long before the section to Nenagh is complete. So Limerick traffic will have to pay the toll for that section, or else go through Mountrath as they do today

Danno

Drove the R433 today from Borris in Ossory to Durrow and the M7 had white lines painted in the Northbound lane.