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

Amtmann

M7 Route Confirmation Signage:


M7 looking east from overbridge on L1612:


As above, looking to Limerick:


Signage on R445:


Start of M7 at Borris0in-Ossory:


Same view, enlarged:


That's it!

roosterman71

I was gonna charge up the camera and take a spin on my bicycle along the M7 tomorrow to get a few snaps. No need now

Fair play Furet. Your dedication deserves a medal!!

Tech3

Great photos again of the M8. Furet do you edit the light in the photos for a darker shade on the asphalt and ADS as it's looks great? Or do I just need to buy a new camera?!!!

Chris_5339762

Good stuff

I know it was zoomed but damn if that M7/8 split doesnt look tight. Coming westbound wanting to go on the M8 it looks like the slips are even shorter than the M4/6 split.

Amtmann

tech2 wrote: »

Great photos again of the M8. Furet do you edit the light in the photos for a darker shade on the asphalt and ADS as it's looks great? Or do I just need to buy a new camera?!!!

I didn't edit them at all. I try to take photos on bright sunny days, but my finger is shading the top left in some of the shots. I wasn't used to the camera!

Tech3

It must be the settings on my camera so. I must jig around with a few of them before Gort-Crusheen starts hitting the final stages of construction.

Also nice work on practically covering the whole scheme, I hope to drive the M7 section in a few weeks time.

BluntGuy

Fantastic pictures.

Can't quite tell from the pictures how tight the M7/M8 junction is, what would you reckon Furet?

Amtmann

I think it will be okay. There are three gantries and presumably plenty of ADS too. Anyone who misses it isn't paying attention. That said, a little more length would have been no harm. Irish drivers tend to merge rather late.

Stinicker

Stark wrote: »

The N22 is a much worse option than the N72.

Clearly you must never have driven the absolute hell that is Killarney to Mallow (N72) or the bohereen that masquerades as road (N73) from Mallow to Mitchelstown via Kildorrery to the M8 Junction 12 at Kilbeheny. That road is a nightmare and while doable on a fine day albeit stressful it is a nightmare most other times.

There is very limited overtaking opportunity's, the road is exceptionally narrow, full of hairpin turns and the surface resembles a lunar landscape with potholes and botched repairs. Add to the gombeen drivers who pollute the road at 50km/h and dozens of tractors and combine harvesters it is probably the most stressful and one of Ireland most dangerous roads.

Jayuu wrote: »

I may be driving to Killarney from Dublin in mid-June.

I'm wondering now if the best route to Killarney would be:
a) M8 the whole way to Cork, then N25 South Ring Road and then the N22 to Killarney.
or
b) M7/N7/M7 to Limerick and the the M20/N21 to Killarney

I don't want to do the M8 as far as Mitcheltstown or Fermoy and then do the N72 through Mallow because I've suffered on that road before and I swore I'd never drive it again.

Any opinions?

My advice is do the M8 to Cork and take the South Ring, if driving in mid June after the M7/M8 linkup is opened you will have Motorway/DC all the way from the Redcow to outside Ballincollig. The South Ring and Nass Dual Carriageway are not motorway but still Dual Carriageway. From Ballincollig to Lissarda is good quality road, from Lissarda to Ballyvourney are okayish although the Macroom to Ballyvourney bit is poor but has a new surface, Ballvourney to Killarney is a grand road.

I would opt the M8/M7 route if I were you as to go through Limerick you could get held up in Adare and it almost a two hour drive from Limerick to Killarney alone, 1.5hrs if you were lucky. From Birdhill to Nenagh you have the M7 opened bits. Limerick to Kerry is stressful and even though the M8 Cork route is longer it is usually quicker due to the faster speeds on the Motorway and a far less stressful drive.

With the linkup complete between the M7 and M8 you should go from the Red Cow to Killarney in about three hours providing you avoided rush hour on the Nass DC, Cork Southring and the quagmire Macroom can be at times. It took me 3 hrs 20mins* last year via the old N8 through Abbeyleix and that included a pitstop to strain the spuds! *I was slightly breaking the speed limt doing 130ish

Amtmann

Stinicker wrote: »

My advice is do the M8 to Cork and take the South Ring, if driving in mid June after the M7/M8 linkup is opened you will have Motorway/DC all the way from the Redcow to outside Ballincollig. The South Ring and Nass Dual Carriageway are not motorway but still Dual Carriageway. From Ballincollig to Lissarda is good quality road, from Lissarda to Ballyvourney are okayish although the Macroom to Ballyvourney bit is poor but has a new surface, Ballvourney to Killarney is a grand road.

I agree with this. It's the route I would take too.

The N74 is worse than the N72 by the way, but it's not nearly as important a route.

Stinicker

Furet wrote: »

I agree with this. It's the route I would take too.

The N74 is worse than the N72 by the way, but it's not nearly as important a route.

I have never driven it so can't say but can well beleive! It seems like it should be a fairly straight stretch on the map, it connects the people of Tipperary town to the M8 so it still of importance! What sort of condition is the N24 main Limerick/Waterford road like from Tipperary to Caher? Sorry for veering off topic!

Stark

Stinicker wrote: »

Clearly you must never have driven the absolute hell that is Killarney to Mallow (N72) or the bohereen that masquerades as road (N73) from Mallow to Mitchelstown via Kildorrery to the M8 Junction 12 at Kilbeheny. That road is a nightmare and while doable on a fine day albeit stressful it is a nightmare most other times.

There is very limited overtaking opportunity's, the road is exceptionally narrow, full of hairpin turns and the surface resembles a lunar landscape with potholes and botched repairs. Add to the gombeen drivers who pollute the road at 50km/h and dozens of tractors and combine harvesters it is probably the most stressful and one of Ireland most dangerous roads.

You get idiots on every stretch of single carriageway in Ireland. You can get just as unlucky on the N22, especially between Ballyvourney and Macroom and that's after getting stuck in Macroom for ages. It's a better option if you're travelling from Cork City but not worth the detour if your starting point is Mitchelstown imo. The N72(73) is only bad from Mitchelstown to Mallow (yes I have driven on it), after that it's grand (I've done 110km/hr on it on a few occasions, and that's with traffic ahead of me travelling faster).

Amtmann

Stinicker wrote: »

What sort of condition is the N24 main Limerick/Waterford road like from Tipperary to Caher? Sorry for veering off topic!

The N24 is at its worst between Tipperary and Cahir in my opinion. Full of twists and turns.

emfifty

Great pictures Furet. Really enjoyed browsing through them. The scheme looks immaculate. Prob one of the better finishes I have seen in a while. Emergency telephones, proper lining, cats-eyes etc...looking forward to driving on it soon.

All told, there was one imperfection I found on pic below. This has been incorrectly routed E20 when it should be E201!:)

motorwaycrazy

Great photo's Furet.

Theres another motorway finished. Looks a neat job.

corktina

Furet wrote: »

The N24 is at its worst between Tipperary and Cahir in my opinion. Full of twists and turns.

but still superior to the Kildorrey to Mallow stretch of the N73 which IMO is the worst N road in the State. So much so that I turn off and go Doneraile/Buttevant/Kanturk which although it isnt a great road, is a viable alternative for Killarney and avoids Mallow.

You can also head south from Doneraile and come into mallow on the Killarney side avoiding Mallow all except the railway station roundabouts.

Toto Wolfcastle

I drove through Abbeyleix today on the way to Cork for probably the last time.

True to form the traffic was bad enough. Can't say I'll miss it.

Tech3

corktina wrote: »

but still superior to the Kildorrey to Mallow stretch of the N73 which IMO is the worst N road in the State.

The N84 and N56 are just as bad. I would say the N16 is the worst national primary road.

I still think the M7/M8 junction is not good enough IMO.

markfla

janeybabe wrote: »

I drove through Abbeyleix today on the way to Cork for probably the last time.

True to form the traffic was bad enough. Can't say I'll miss it.

I'm really looking forward to Abbeyleix after the motorway opening, it will be opened up so much more for locals wanting to shop

Toto Wolfcastle

markfla wrote: »

I'm really looking forward to Abbeyleix after the motorway opening, it will be opened up so much more for locals wanting to shop

Every time I drove through it I thought how crap it must be for the people who live there. I'd imagine they were (and still are until next Friday) so restricted in what they could do. Even a trip to the petrol station would have been a pain.

Zoney

tech2 wrote: »

The N84 and N56 are just as bad. I would say the N16 is the worst national primary road.

I still think the M7/M8 junction is not good enough IMO.

Also IIRC the N52 heading out of Borrisokane towards Birr is rather impressive for any Irish rural road, nevermind a national road!

Back on topic, I think the M7/M8 and M4/M6 should each have a third lane on the M7 and M4 respectively for a km or two in advance of the the split (with the split simply adding the fourth lane for the two motorways to continue separately as two lanes). We don't need an NI-style M2/M5 arrangement, but nevertheless there should be at least one extra lane on the main motorways in advance of major splits, in order to have a lane drop rather than just slips.

L1011

Looks like I should be getting to travel this on opening day, northbound.

quietsailor

janeybabe wrote: »

Every time I drove through it I thought how crap it must be for the people who live there. I'd imagine they were (and still are until next Friday) so restricted in what they could do. Even a trip to the petrol station would have been a pain.

Theres a group of us from Cork travel up to the IPC regulary and you'd notice drivers actually feeling sorry for people in Abbeyleix/Durrow who are trying to exit from the side streets. The main road traffic seems to be more inclined to stop/slow down and let the poor sods out more so than other villages I've travelled in.

Rovi

janeybabe wrote: »

Every time I drove through it I thought how crap it must be for the people who live there. I'd imagine they were (and still are until next Friday) so restricted in what they could do. Even a trip to the petrol station would have been a pain.

A friend of mine used to live at one end of the town and work at the other, and the trip (1 mile) often took him a good half hour if he mistimed his departure.

tinkerbell

So have I got this right then, the M7 will start from Borris-in-Ossory from Friday? So I can avoid Mountrath etc? I posted in the opening dates thread about this too - anybody know when the rest of it as far as Nenagh will open (excluding the disaster part of the bog road that is).

Rovi

tinkerbell wrote: »

So have I got this right then, the M7 will start from Borris-in-Ossory from Friday? So I can avoid Mountrath etc?

That's it, you'll be skipping Borris-in-Ossory and Mountrath; and, without in any way seeking to cause offence, I'm delighted to announce that you and 10,000+ others won't be going past my house every day any more either.

tinkerbell

Rovi wrote: »

That's it, you'll be skipping Borris-in-Ossory and Mountrath; and, without in any way seeking to cause offence, I'm delighted to announce that you and 10,000+ others won't be going past my house every day any more either.

I am delighted too! And delighted for yourself as well. I've always felt so sorry for those living in Mountrath and having to deal with the insane traffic, heading out for a pint of milk must be a nightmare for all you Mountrath residents!

Jayuu

Stinicker wrote: »

Clearly you must never have driven the absolute hell that is Killarney to Mallow (N72) or the bohereen that masquerades as road (N73) from Mallow to Mitchelstown via Kildorrery to the M8 Junction 12 at Kilbeheny. That road is a nightmare and while doable on a fine day albeit stressful it is a nightmare most other times.

There is very limited overtaking opportunity's, the road is exceptionally narrow, full of hairpin turns and the surface resembles a lunar landscape with potholes and botched repairs. Add to the gombeen drivers who pollute the road at 50km/h and dozens of tractors and combine harvesters it is probably the most stressful and one of Ireland most dangerous roads.



My advice is do the M8 to Cork and take the South Ring, if driving in mid June after the M7/M8 linkup is opened you will have Motorway/DC all the way from the Redcow to outside Ballincollig. The South Ring and Nass Dual Carriageway are not motorway but still Dual Carriageway. From Ballincollig to Lissarda is good quality road, from Lissarda to Ballyvourney are okayish although the Macroom to Ballyvourney bit is poor but has a new surface, Ballvourney to Killarney is a grand road.

I would opt the M8/M7 route if I were you as to go through Limerick you could get held up in Adare and it almost a two hour drive from Limerick to Killarney alone, 1.5hrs if you were lucky. From Birdhill to Nenagh you have the M7 opened bits. Limerick to Kerry is stressful and even though the M8 Cork route is longer it is usually quicker due to the faster speeds on the Motorway and a far less stressful drive.

With the linkup complete between the M7 and M8 you should go from the Red Cow to Killarney in about three hours providing you avoided rush hour on the Nass DC, Cork Southring and the quagmire Macroom can be at times. It took me 3 hrs 20mins* last year via the old N8 through Abbeyleix and that included a pitstop to strain the spuds! *I was slightly breaking the speed limt doing 130ish

Thanks for this.

Stark may like the N72 but after driving it last year I vowed never to do it again. Normally I'd go the N7 route but now that we have motorway practically all the way to Cork it seemed like a decent option.

I'll be driving down on either Friday or Saturday and would be hitting Cork around mid-morning so rush hour at Dunkettle/South Ring Road would probably not be that much of a problem.

MidlandsM

Was talking to my neighbour the other day. He's out of work and applied for one of the 40 jobs advertised locally to work @ the Toll Bridge @ Trumera on the M7/M8. He was unsuccessfull along with 1460 other people - 1500 people applied for jobs.

veryangryman

Rovi wrote: »

A friend of mine used to live at one end of the town and work at the other, and the trip (1 mile) often took him a good half hour if he mistimed his departure.

I hope for his sake that he is either old or unable to walk.

What kind of a lazy sod would drive the 1 mile in that traffic. when walking probably as quick. That is such a waste of fuel, money, pollution, time and just generally bad practice