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

Steviemak

Lets hope this one is signed better. There seems to be an overhead gantry a few hundred meters before the split which is an improvement on the M4/M6 split at least.

Stark

There'll be a toll bridge right before the exit anyway to remind people that it's coming up.

Steviemak

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

yes, you have to have your wits about you and look out for these blue rectangle things hanging on two poles back about a kilometre or two from the exit. Imagine putting distances on these blue rectangle things, what help is that?

Totally incorrect. The very first sign for the M4/M6 split is about 200m before the junction (no distances) - a totally unacceptable warning for a major motorway split. There are no other signs apart from actually on the junction and they are obscured by a bridge from a distance. It is very possible to miss a sign if overtaking a truck.

Zoney

Looks like there should be a third lane starting a km or two back on the M4 mainline so that the M6 leaves as a lane drop (with the second lane of M6 starting about where it does in the photo).

I suppose the M8 will just be leaving the M7 as a glorified slip road as well?

Jomcc

Stark wrote: »

There'll be a toll bridge right before the exit anyway to remind people that it's coming up.

Not correct. Toll plaza is approx 12km before split.

L1011

Would it be insanity to think they could pull the M8 leg off for the may day BH? Massive cashflow day to miss out on, most of the road between the tie-ins seems lined and the Culahill tie-in should take a day if they route traffic via Johnstown again. I've no idea how much work is left at the Portlaoise tie-in though...

GeneHunt

Ah yes, it does look like the M8 leg is going to open first, as it stands the M7 isn’t worth opening until the section from Borris in Ossory to Nenagh is ready. I’m not trying to offend the good people of Borris in Ossory, but who would pay a toll to go as far as Borris in Ossory? I could be wrong, Mountrath is a bottleneck I know.

But it could also be that Minister Dempsey can come down and open the M8 leg and the media loving it too (a day out with the minister) and Dempsey can put it to the news hounds this is the final section of the M8 motorway to connect Dublin to Cork on time and under budget. Then he can still come back in a few months time with the foolish news hounds again (that never ready hit a transport minister with a good question for fear they might be removed from the invite list to the next road opening!!!). Dempsey can feed the news hounds with more BS than this section of M7 motorway is the final* section to connect Dublin to Limerick on time and under budget.

* I'm hoping the bog of doom can be crossed!!!
I wonder will Dempsey come down to open that section too, maybe not, but who knows, it is a day out after all...:rolleyes:

Some questions I’d love to hit Dempsey with, are:
Why is this section of M8 only opening now and not 2006 as first stated?
Why is junction 3 where it is and not at or near Cullahill?
Why is Junction1/19 not a full access junction?

Okay, sorry about that, but I do feel better after it.....:D

Tech3

Zoney wrote: »

Looks like there should be a third lane starting a km or two back on the M4 mainline so that the M6 leaves as a lane drop (with the second lane of M6 starting about where it does in the photo).

I suppose the M8 will just be leaving the M7 as a glorified slip road as well?

+ 1

Exactly the way motorways should split.

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

yes, you have to have your wits about you and look out for these blue rectangle things hanging on two poles back about a kilometre or two from the exit. Imagine putting distances on these blue rectangle things, what help is that?

They should just put a bloody roundabout on it like the M9/N24/N25/N9

Well if you are overtaking a HGV then it's not much use trying to look for ADS signage.

roosterman71

GeneHunt wrote: »

Ah yes, it does look like the M8 leg is going to open first, as it stands the M7 isn’t worth opening until the section from Borris in Ossory to Nenagh is ready. I’m not trying to offend the good people of Borris in Ossory, but who would pay a toll to go as far as Borris in Ossory? I could be wrong, Mountrath is a bottleneck I know.

From some pictures in this thread, the M8 tie in at Cullahill is still a work in progress, much the same way as the M7 tie in with the R435 is. The M7 has more of the road markings done than the M8 at this point.

To me, it would seem foolish to only open the M8 and not the M7 too. Both use the same toll, so why wait till the Nenagh section is open? Money is money and everyone that uses the motorway and pays is a good thing in the eyes of the toll operator. I can't see them waiting another 6 months or so for the Nenagh section to open.

Also, the Nenagh section is done by a different contractor, and is not part of the tolled section. So why would the operator wait for it to open? I'm sure lots of people will travel the M7 from Dublin as far as Borris In Ossory and be glad to avoid Mountrath. Granted folks going the opposite way might not be bothered, but some will.

fresca

if you're travelling dublin to limerick/kerry, i think that realistically you'll stay on the motorway for as long as possible.
even if for a few months you'll only get a few km's between toll booth and turn off for borris.

Zoney

tech2 wrote: »

+ 1

Exactly the way motorways should split.

Well... exactly how they should split when done cheaply because the traffic genuinely doesn't warrant a fancy solution (lets face it, for the time being even the "glorified slip roads" will probably be adequate despite the disadvantage of little warning for such a major junction).

Closer to urban areas, see the M2/M5 up North for example

M50 of course in a sense has this arrangement for every junction on the western/northern part with the intermediate auxiliary lane that gets dropped (so you can switch to that at the first advance notice for your junction).

moose112

These two are pictures are taken just south of the toll plaza one facing north other south

moose112

These two were taken near Kilbricken

moose112

First one taken before the split in the motorway I think that is a bridge for the railway line.
Second one taken near Athaboe and the third one on the Abbeyleix to Rathdowney road.

I will get a couple more taken when i have more time and working in the area

Local guy said that the Portlaoise to ballacolla section should be open towards the end of May start of June

Steviemak

Thanks Moose112. Its great to see all the photos of this section being posted lately.

We were spoiled with the other sections of the M8 thanks to Furet.

quitepossibly

Will the section of the M8 between junction 4 & 3 be tolled? This appears to have been the original intention given that the word "TOLL" is covered on the ADS for junction 4. However looking at the pics of junction 3 there doesn't appear to be any mini toll plazas on the slip roads à la junction 15 on the Fermoy bypass.

So it looks like you can drive north on the M8, exit at junction 3 and not pay the toll?

Jomcc

quitepossibly wrote: »

Will the section of the M8 between junction 4 & 3 be tolled? This appears to have been the original intention given that the word "TOLL" is covered on the ADS for junction 4. However looking at the pics of junction 3 there doesn't appear to be any mini toll plazas on the slip roads à la junction 15 on the Fermoy bypass.

So it looks like you can drive north on the M8, exit at junction 3 and not pay the toll?

That is correct. There are no mini toll booths. Coming north, it will be possible to exit at junction 3, drive through Abbeyleix and join up in Portlaoise......At least it should move the traffic jams from Durrow road out of Abbeyleix to the Ballacolla road.
Road from exit 3 to Ballacolla is in a diabolical state since the snow. No effort was made to repair it. Just wondering if this is on purpose to try to dissuade traffic from avoiding the toll.

quitepossibly

Jomcc wrote: »

That is correct. There are no mini toll booths. Coming north, it will be possible to exit at junction 3, drive through Abbeyleix and join up in Portlaoise......At least it should move the traffic jams from Durrow road out of Abbeyleix to the Ballacolla road.
Road from exit 3 to Ballacolla is in a diabolical state since the snow. No effort was made to repair it. Just wondering if this is on purpose to try to dissuade traffic from avoiding the toll.

Interesting. I wonder did the fallout from when the once free to use Watergrasshill bypass became tolled have any inflence on the change of policy here. It seems clear that the original intention was to apply a toll to the tax payer built 10km of motorway from Urlingford to Culahill.

While I've no problem paying a toll for a road funded by private investment, I'd have a serious issue with paying a toll on a tax payer built, one time free to use motorway. Good to hear the powers that be got sense.

Jomcc

More pics.

Facing west on N7 with toll plaza in background.


Facing east from N7.

Steviemak

Thanks Jomcc. Still a bit of work to be done by the looks of it.

Jomcc

Steviemak wrote: »

Thanks Jomcc. Still a bit of work to be done by the looks of it.

Certainly no hope of it opening for May bank holiday weekend. Tried to get up to the tie in at Portlaoise but would have been pushing it a bit. Will try go for spin on bicycle at weekend and see what pics I can take.

roosterman71

June bank holiday weekend remains a possibility though

mysterious

Jomcc wrote: »

Certainly no hope of it opening for May bank holiday weekend. Tried to get up to the tie in at Portlaoise but would have been pushing it a bit. Will try go for spin on bicycle at weekend and see what pics I can take.

7 mile tailback in Mountrath again on May weekend! woo!

Mountrath is horrendous of a town to pass through. I still don't agree with a toll on this section of motorway it's ludricous to have a narrow national primary route with two urban settlements only bypassed by a toll. There should never be tolls on bypass sections. There should never be tolls at all.

Money is the root of all evil.

blarneyone

hello,

Long time lurker here. Been watching the M8 threads intensely as I'm on the road all the time. Was told by the deli-girl in the Cullahill Topaz..... May 28 is the date.... So fingers crossed.

Tech3

Great to see an opening date for the M8 section but the way the M7 is getting shafted like this is pretty bad. The link road at Borris is like what? only 2 km long.

Also the amount of new pics posted lately is staggering, thanks!

MidlandsM

Monetary move maybe? More moolah to be had by getting the M8 open first cos' there's going to be more traffic on it than the M7?

Jomcc

tech2 wrote: »

Also the amount of new pics posted lately is staggering, thanks!

Just playing with my new camera............u want pics, I'll take them.:D

roosterman71

tech2 wrote: »

Great to see an opening date for the M8 section but the way the M7 is getting shafted like this is pretty bad. The link road at Borris is like what? only 2 km long.

Also the amount of new pics posted lately is staggering, thanks!

The link road in Borris In Ossory is open since last summer. The on/off ramps are (or at least were 2 weeks ago) being worked on with a hive of activity around the place.

Monetary move maybe? More moolah to be had by getting the M8 open first cos' there's going to be more traffic on it than the M7?

I kind of agree, but the M7 will have a pretty big volume of cars too for the toll. Even if its just a short stretch from Portlaoise to Borris In Ossory. Personally, I don't think it makes much sense just opening one section at a time.

Deedsie

roosterman71 wrote: »

The link road in Borris In Ossory is open since last summer. The on/off ramps are (or at least were 2 weeks ago) being worked on with a hive of activity around the place.



I kind of agree, but the M7 will have a pretty big volume of cars too for the toll. Even if its just a short stretch from Portlaoise to Borris In Ossory. Personally, I don't think it makes much sense just opening one section at a time.

Id pay €1.80 to avoid Mountrath and Borris-in-Ossory alone. I cant understand why the entire scheme is not opening together.

Tech3

roosterman71 wrote: »

The link road in Borris In Ossory is open since last summer. The on/off ramps are (or at least were 2 weeks ago) being worked on with a hive of activity around the place.

Yup I know it was opened, I went up that way and took a few pics of the new stretch after you posted on the M7 thread that it had opened last year. There was a railway bridge along that stretch also I passed.

What I originally meant was that it only takes 1-2km to get back onto the current N7 so I dont see any reason why the M7 section should not open the same time as the M8 section. Sorry have to say this but the M7 is getting badly shafted, nearly every other MUI is completed and yet very little has been opened from Limerick-Portlasoise Also a target date has been scrapped for the Birdhill-Limerick stretch.