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

MidlandsM

Well Lads,

I've been meaning to update yiz on the motorway here about 3 or 4 k's from where i reside.
I ttok a spin over to Ahaboe today where the Limerick and Cork Motorway merge and head towards the toll at Portlaoise.
Enjoy!

This is north bound headed for portlaoise -


This is the same on the other side -

and again




This is south bound -

These 2 last pics are the Limerick Motorway slip road approaching the Cork Motorway where they merge. Note the underbridge in the distane.




You know, its a fine bit of road - looking forward to seeing it open.

clon

new newsletter out , lots of good aerial shots.

http://www.crg.ie/M7-M8%20NewsletterApril10.pdf

-Corkie-

I came down from dublin that way on saturday, their was convoys of tar trucks heading down that way...

Amtmann

It looks like most of it has been fully asphalted by now, and that lining, signing and studding is proceeding very quickly. Phones should start to appear soon.

The big things left to do look like landscaping and the two tie-ins. I've yet to see a single photo of the tie-in with the Portlaoise bypass. A few pictures would be great. When they move to tie the scheme in at Cullahill then we'll know that an opening is only a couple of days away.

roosterman71

veryangryman wrote: »

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

Anyone thats ever driven from Dublin-Cork, or Dublin-Limerick (or indeed the opposite way) are already well aware of "toll-dodging" routes. They are called the current N7 and N8

MidlandsM

I can see the "Manor Stone" junction going to be a very popular one for a number of reasons -

You'll come off there to avoid the Toll.
You can Fuel up @ the Topaz in Abbeyleix and then avoid having to go into Portlaoise for fuel.
From there its just 8 mins into Abbeyleix, with some nice cafes like Bramleys to enjoy, much better than what the Midway in Portloaise can ever offer.
How much will the toll be anyways - €1.80 , €1.90 or €2 or above?

MidlandsM

Furet wrote: »

I've yet to see a single photo of the tie-in with the Portlaoise bypass. A few pictures would be great. When they move to tie the scheme in at Cullahill then we'll know that an opening is only a couple of days away.

Don't hold me to it, but i'll try and get a few shots for the forum here.;)

roosterman71

The R433 is a dirty piece of road to be on to avoid the toll. It brings you through Ballacolla and then Abbeyleix. You'd be much better off leaving the M8 at the previous exit (Johnstown is it??) and travelling the old N8 to Portlaoise

MidlandsM

roosterman71 wrote: »

The R433 is a dirty piece of road to be on to avoid the toll. It brings you through Ballacolla and then Abbeyleix. You'd be much better off leaving the M8 at the previous exit (Johnstown is it??) and travelling the old N8 to Portlaoise

not really, I do it all the time, its rough right now, but they're actively resurfacing it in sections with just a nice new bit done there in Ballacolla Village itself the other day.. It'll be grand and only 15 or 18 mins to Portlaoise from there.

roosterman71

But how long will this "patched" road last if many people start using that exit to get to Abbeyleix?

I know Ballacolla, which is a very picturesque village would be destroyed with the extra traffic volume. It would make more sense to use the existing N8, which will be alot quieter when the M8 is opened, to get to Durrow and Abbeyleix. That road is already there and will be under utilised compared to the twisty and narrow R433 which will be alot busier if people use it to access the surrounding towns off the M8.

The only reason there is access to and from the motorway at the R433 is for the outlet shop in Rathdowney. One of the big incentives to build that there was that it would have close access to the motorway. Only for it, the R433 would be the same as the R434 and wouldn't have access to the new motorway

sleepyman

Would most people here say the M7 part of the M7/M8 will be finished in July? I just remember someone else in the thread saying October or is the work progressing quicker than expected? Cheers.

MidlandsM

roosterman71 wrote: »

The only reason there is access to and from the motorway at the R433 is for the outlet shop in Rathdowney. One of the big incentives to build that there was that it would have close access to the motorway. Only for it, the R433 would be the same as the R434 and wouldn't have access to the new motorway

That may have been the case back when the motorway was first concieved, but the Outlet Shopping Centre in Rathdowney is on its kness, and near DEAD. Anyone in the area or has been to it will tell you that.
The REAL reason that the R433 acess was done was to accomadate manor stone, who are a big player in the natural stone supply biz as well as the fact that the Hennessy's who own and operate manor stone owned most of the land and property that the motorway goes thru there. Regardless of CPO's, that would have been agreed in the deal - you also only have to look at all the stone walls that have been built over there,
km's upon km's of natural stone walls all supplied by you know who :rolleyes::D

roosterman71

They wouldn't build a slip road just because of who owned the land said so. The land was gonna be bought by CPO, the design of the road would have no bearing on who it was been taken from.

And what makes you think a company that sells stone is more powerful than a town? Or indeed developers who built the outlet in the most stupid place ever conceived. Why wasn't it in Portlaoise? or Roscrea? Or Borris In Ossory? They got some big incentives and the future motorway development was one such incentive.

MidlandsM

roosterman71 wrote: »

They got some big incentives and the future motorway development was one such incentive.

Proof Rooster?;)

roosterman71

Come on now. Where would I get that unless I had access to planning docs or something? I know guys who worked on the planning of the centre and it was they who told me that the new motorway would be providing access once built. This was before Manor Stone started up even (~1998/99 time)

MidlandsM

roosterman71 wrote: »

Come on now. Where would I get that unless I had access to planning docs or something? I know guys who worked on the planning of the centre and it was they who told me that the new motorway would be providing access once built. This was before Manor Stone started up even (~1998/99 time)

so you have no proof...fair do's - thanks for clearing that up.

roosterman71

And have you proof of the Manor Stone story you've put out?

MidlandsM

roosterman71 wrote: »

And have you proof of the Manor Stone story you've put out?

not that I can post here

Jomcc

I was told by someone who works in Laois Co Council that the Dublin Cork section of the motorway will be opening on June Bank holiday Weekend. Wonder if he is right? There certainly seems to be a lot of cleaning up going on and the tie in at Portlaoise is going ahead full blast.

MidlandsM

Yep, thats what local traders will tell you in Abbeyleix too.
I'd say its a real possibility - I've been all over it to check various sections and its surfaced,arco'd, lined, concrete barried, fenced, signed.......nearly there.

fresca

could somebody explain why the M7 section won't open at the same time?
please & thanks...

popebenny16

roosterman71 wrote: »

Come on now. Where would I get that unless I had access to planning docs or something? I know guys who worked on the planning of the centre and it was they who told me that the new motorway would be providing access once built. This was before Manor Stone started up even (~1998/99 time)

MidlandsM wrote: »

so you have no proof...fair do's - thanks for clearing that up.

roosterman71 wrote: »

And have you proof of the Manor Stone story you've put out?

everyone in the Rathdowney area knows that the reason why the Centre was being built there was because of the Junction - but it wasnt the junction that now exists. It was assumed that the junction of the Cork/Limerick sections would be where the Abbeyleix Junction is now - and that there would be access to it from the R433. That proved to be incorrect, and Kildare outlet has stolen its thunder somewhat. When Rathdowney was designed and built it was the first of its kind, and had the assumption been correct they would have been doing a bomb. They also assumed the motorway was going to be open several years before now as well.

MidlandsM

Not everyone....simply put, you cannot come on here and say "Everyone". YOU are not everyone.
However, its cool to have opposing views - thats what makes these forums good.

dubhthach

fresca wrote: »

could somebody explain why the M7 section won't open at the same time?
please & thanks...

Because if they open both sections at the same time then the "Minister of uselessness" and the local FF "dignitaries" will only get to have their pictures in the newspaper once instead of twice. Well that and minister can only put in for half the mileage he'd otherwise get

MidlandsM

lol.......that and the fact that the M7 is no where near advanced as the M8

fresca

MidlandsM wrote: »

lol.......that and the fact that the M7 is no where near advanced as the M8

has anyone got a visual update between where the M7 crosses the R434 and R435? is this where the backlog is?

are we looking at 4 weeks after M8 completion, or more?

thanks

rameire

The AA

From The AA updated today.

The M7/M8 Portlaoise Motorway Scheme is a tolled road and is due to be completed in the autumn of 2010. * The proposed M7 Portlaoise – Castletown/M8 Portlaoise – Cullahill (M7/M8 Portlaoise Motorway Scheme) forms part of the improvement to the N7 and N8 national primary routes proposed under the National Development Plan.

* The scheme ultimately will link into the N7 Castletown-Nenagh Scheme (N7 Scheme) on the N7 and the N8 Cullahill-Castletown Scheme (N8 Scheme) on the N8.

* There are two more phases on the M7 still to be completed. The next section from Nenagh north to Castletown will be completed by the end of 2010. No confirmed time has been given for the opening of the final section from Birdhill to the Limerick Southern Ring Road, this is due to construction related issues across the bog.

* The final section of the M8 from Portlaoise to Cullahill is expected to open in June/July 2010.

roosterman71

fresca wrote: »

has anyone got a visual update between where the M7 crosses the R434 and R435? is this where the backlog is?

are we looking at 4 weeks after M8 completion, or more?

thanks

The last time I drove the R434 there was no visible issues. Road was nearly fully marked, no sign of machinery on it so looked nearly done.
The R435 is a different story. At the tie in with the R435, there's a lot of the landscaping being done, and pipes being laid along the side of the motorway.

popebenny16

MidlandsM wrote: »

Not everyone....simply put, you cannot come on here and say "Everyone". YOU are not everyone.
However, its cool to have opposing views - thats what makes these forums good.

sorry, i should have said "everyone i have spoken to about it"

MidlandsM

Thats cool, anyways moving on........

I got pic this morning of the M7 Limerick motorway sections near borris in ossary and near roscrea for an update.
Will load up later.