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

popebenny16

murphaph wrote: »

That's a LOT of stone wall facing there. Were all the original boundary treatments in stone wall form or have they wasted a load of money doing that?

no they werent, and there are literally kilometres of new road with stone walls.

luckily enough, manor stone were able to supply it all, which was handy as they are right there in the area.

popebenny16

Furet wrote: »

The signage seems to confirm that junctions 4 - 3 will be toll free after all. That's good. But what a crap road the R433 is!

indeed it is crap, in fact is it appalling outside ballacolla, then the new alignment at the motorway is perfect and then from when that ends towards rathdowney it is appalling again.

really dont see the point in the junction - the road from the borris-in-ossory junction to Rathdowney will be longer but better, and as pointed out, everyone else will just use the existing n8.

Danno

Donaghmore is brutal in fairness.

Amtmann

Any sign of the spring 2010 newsletter yet?

popebenny16

Danno wrote: »

Donaghmore is brutal in fairness.

it is nothing to ballacolla where there is a hole about a foot deep and half the width of the road awaiting you, and that is not too bad as its marked off, but from there to the interchange is like driving on Mars.

it is total joke that the roads linking up to the best roads in the country are in such a shambles.

Danno

larryone wrote: »

i'm just updating openstreetmap now with the changes
any chance you happened to have a gps device with you???
last time i was there i was driving through a construction site
that wall certianly wasnt there
could you have a look at my edits on osm and tell me if they'er right?
http://osm.org/go/es2M9n5t--

They look fairly spot on Lar.

childoforpheus

Some pictures I took today of the scheme starting from the terminus of the existing M8 and moving towards the new interchange of the M7/M8. More advanced than I expected. More photos available here: http://s1034.photobucket.com/albums/a430/thechildoforpheus/M7%20M8%20Portlaoise%20to%20Cullohill%2031-03-2010/

testicle

If I drive from Carlow to Limerick, I currently go via Abbeyleix, and from there via Ballycolla and Borris-in-Ossory along the R433 and R434. I can also access the N7 via Mountrath on the R430 instead.

When this scheme opens, how would I access the M7?

larryone

Same way - via Borris. The Mountrath option wont get you onto the M7 until Borris regardless.
Only other option would be to go via Stradbally on the N80 and join the M7 at Portlaoise. It is longer, but if you consider motorway speeds and the N80 being a much better road than the ones between Carlow and Borris. Plus the safety factor...

emfifty

great pics childo'. i am wondering why they added 'durrow' to exit 19. this i am sure will be signposted off exit 17 for the n77? maybe urlingford would have been better. this may have been designed with exit 2 (now omitted) in mind.:rolleyes:

Danno

emfifty wrote: »

great pics childo'. i am wondering why they added 'durrow' to exit 19. this i am sure will be signposted off exit 17 for the n77? maybe urlingford would have been better. this may have been designed with exit 2 (now omitted) in mind.:rolleyes:

Put in Urlingford in place of Durrow - are ya mad? :eek:

-Corkie-

Fairplay for the brilliant pictures. This road must be opening soon at that rate of going!!!.

roosterman71

They say its going to open at the end of May. Loads of landscaping and works aren't the exits in Borris in Ossory these days. However, the road is destroyed with much and sand and the like. There's no lines painted in this area yet. Nor will there be for a while yet till they finish what they are at

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

( in this very thread september 2009) Portlaoise M7/M8 will open in time for the Galway Races Furet , don't you worry about that my son I can guarantee it

Now admit it everybody, the Sponge was right

Stinicker

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Now admit it everybody, the Sponge was right

All hail the sponge. I for one welcome spongebob as our new overlords. :pac::pac:

Chris_5339762

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Now admit it everybody, the Sponge was right

Enjoy the high-horse Mr Bob, looks like I may have been right with Gort - Crusheen for the races too when you said October

Sponge Bob

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Enjoy the high-horse Mr Bob, looks like I may have been right with Gort - Crusheen for the races too when you said October

On balance it does and all and I described you as "brave" in this very thread you may remember.

roosterman71

There are a few diggers and dumpers working today moving some of the "clay mountains" to the on-off ramp at Borris In Ossory where its been used for the landscaping.

Also, part of the road crossing the L1516 (I think thats the number) isn't fully tarred yet. There's a few sections not totally done

Danno

A few of the M8 today... I also done some updates on the OSM...

1 - Looking southwest towards Cork at the last overbridge.




2 - Looking northeast towards Dublin on the same bridge as photo 1.
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,633962,672994,5




3 - The farmers pass on that bridge as discussed earlier on this thread.




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4 - Looking North on the second last bridge...
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,634142,673836,5





5 - Looking south towards the first bridge, see the farmers access either side.




6 - Leaving the bridge, one can see neat work completed on verges and accesses.




========================================================================

7 - Looking south from the third last overbridge.
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,633941,674942,5




8 - Looking north from the same bridge - beside The Harps GAA grounds at Cullohill.




========================================================================

9 - Cannonswood Bridge looking south.
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,633650,676820,5




10 - Looking north from Cannonswood - last time I was here this bridge was closed and the road was only rubble. Amazing progress!




11 - Closer shot of photo 10




12 - Then I realised I had to follow a new road north that lead me by the sign I was zooming in on in photo 11




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13 - Looking south from the bridge that allows you to access Clough Village from the R434.
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,634242,682689,5




14 - Zooming in on the sign, still looking south as in photo 13

Danno

15 - Looking north from Clough bridge - the bridge in the distance is the R434 Overbridge.



========================================================================


16 - The motorway goes over the OLD R433 and this gantry sign is on the way up.
LOCATION: http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,634687,679037,5

Deedsie

They are great shots Danno. That road looks like it is flying along? Is it still on for a June opening or is that being a bit optimistic? No offence to anyone from Mountrath, but i hope i dont ever have to drive through the town again.

Danno

I have added commentary and location tags to OSI on all the photos.

Deedsie wrote: »

They are great shots Danno. That road looks like it is flying along? Is it still on for a June opening or is that being a bit optimistic? No offence to anyone from Mountrath, but i hope i dont ever have to drive through the town again.

That is the M8 on the Cork Rd. It was hopeful to have it opened in three weeks time, but I think it will be the June Bank Holiday weekend instead now.

The M7 Limerick side will open LATER in the year. They are pushing hard to have it for the August Bank holiday weekend, but may be pushed forward to July 23rd instead.

Sponge Bob

If that is a DBO PPP scheme it nearly looks ready for a May Bank holiday opening in those photos, ie by 30th April and absolutely by the June Bank Holiday, no question about it.

Steviemak

Thanks Danno, great pics

Deedsie wrote: »

They are great shots Danno. That road looks like it is flying along? Is it still on for a June opening or is that being a bit optimistic? No offence to anyone from Mountrath, but i hope i dont ever have to drive through the town again.

Deedsie according to the NRA the M8 section is due open by the end of May but the M7 section will be later.

Deedsie

Steviemak wrote: »

Thanks Danno, great pics


Deedsie according to the NRA the M8 section is due open by the end of May but the M7 section will be later.

It's the M7 I would be more interested in, but still July isn't to bad. By October a fair whack of the M7 should be done.

Amtmann

Danno wrote: »

The M7 Limerick side will open LATER in the year. They are pushing hard to have it for the August Bank holiday weekend, but may be pushed forward to July 23rd instead.

Thanks for all the great photos Danno - keep them coming if you can!

Is it an absolute 100% cert that the M7 leg will open later? If so, I can't imagine why - it was looking very advanced in pictures taken by Roosterman over two months ago.

veryangryman

Furet wrote: »

Thanks for all the great photos Danno - keep them coming if you can!

Is it an absolute 100% cert that the M7 leg will open later? If so, I can't imagine why - it was looking very advanced in pictures taken by Roosterman over two months ago.

Toll company must be crying into their cornflakes. All this delay allows all M7/M8 traffic very aware of the toll-dodging routes.

Chris_5339762

This isnt a town bypass a la Fermoy though, its right in the middle of the M7 and M8 routes. Also, it will be a pain to avoid the toll and since there arent many commuters you wont have daily dodgers. I dont think that many people will avoid it.

I certainly wont anyway

daithi_dearg

Hello,

Does anyone know if there are any plans to maybe put an odd petrol station on the M8?

Any information anyone has would be welcome.

Thanks,
David

Amtmann

daithi_dearg wrote: »

Hello,

Does anyone know if there are any plans to maybe put an odd petrol station on the M8?

Any information anyone has would be welcome.

Thanks,
David

One will open up at junction 8 (the second Cashel exit) before the end of the year with a McDonalds restaurant. There is also talk of a service area close to Rathdowney (exit 3), but this is some bit away yet.

The NRA were to build two official service areas between Horse and Jockey and Cashel, and between Mitchelstown and Fermoy, but these have been postponed indefinitely.