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

Rovi

veryangryman wrote: »

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

The kind who won't carry a tonne or so of tools and equipment in his hand.

veryangryman

Rovi wrote: »

The kind who won't carry a tonne or so of tools and equipment in his hand.

I stand corrected - apologies

Rovi

veryangryman wrote: »

I stand corrected - apologies

No bother.

d1980

Anyone know the cheapest way to go thru toll. Is it worth getting tag? or pay as you go?

Steviemak

Unless you are using the M50, cash is cheapest.

scottyccfc

Well its the same price, you just pay one euro a month for the privilage, fastpass all the way I say!

Rovi

Bit of info I got from an engineer yesterday:
Biffo will be cutting the ribbon on this scheme at noon, and the engineers have been told to have it ready for traffic between 1 and 2. Official opening time is 4.

The actual location of the opening ceremony is being kept 'confidential', as there are fears that Beloved Leader would likely be that target of protests, and it wouldn't do for that sort of thing to spoil the buzz.
The current thinking is that it will be on the new section immediately after Junction 18, somewhere behind the construction works yard/offices.
We'll see.

Neither myself nor any of the other handful of former landowners on the scheme whom I've spoken to have been invited to the opening, and the engineer says that none of the engineering/construction people have been either.

munchkin_utd

so its more of a biffo photocall than anything else if people directly involved arent allowed to celebrate the finishing of the road.

MidlandsM

Rovi wrote: »

Bit of info I got from an engineer yesterday:
Biffo will be cutting the ribbon on this scheme at noon, and the engineers have been told to have it ready for traffic between 1 and 2. Official opening time is 4.

The actual location of the opening ceremony is being kept 'confidential', as there are fears that Beloved Leader would likely be that target of protests, and it wouldn't do for that sort of thing to spoil the buzz.
The current thinking is that it will be on the new section immediately after Junction 18, somewhere behind the construction works yard/offices.
We'll see.

Neither myself nor any of the other handful of former landowners on the scheme whom I've spoken to have been invited to the opening, and the engineer says that none of the engineering/construction people have been either.

Thanks for this - a big fat lunch for biffo & his cronies so after the ribbon cutting at all our expences........no change there then.:P

BluntGuy

Rovi wrote: »

Bit of info I got from an engineer yesterday:
Biffo will be cutting the ribbon on this scheme at noon, and the engineers have been told to have it ready for traffic between 1 and 2. Official opening time is 4.

The actual location of the opening ceremony is being kept 'confidential', as there are fears that Beloved Leader would likely be that target of protests, and it wouldn't do for that sort of thing to spoil the buzz.
The current thinking is that it will be on the new section immediately after Junction 18, somewhere behind the construction works yard/offices.
We'll see.

Neither myself nor any of the other handful of former landowners on the scheme whom I've spoken to have been invited to the opening, and the engineer says that none of the engineering/construction people have been either.

So it'll be the usual FF apes who turn up to this, rather than anyone who actually contributed anything of value to the project. Typical. :rolleyes:

If you can verify your facts you should consider sending it in to the Examiner or perhaps Irish Times. The photoshoot culture really needs to end, we need to stop letting these vultures get credit for projects they contributed absolutely nothing to.

munchkin_utd

and the pertinent question,
will the obligitorary leggy fashion model in the photoshoot be a blonde or brunette!!

DWCommuter

munchkin_utd wrote: »

and the pertinent question,
will the obligitorary leggy fashion model in the photoshoot be a blonde or brunette!!

I'll have a tenner on blonde please.:D

MidlandsM

I'll bet a score on her being a minger.

icdg

Great pics, Furet. As for the signage...well at least the NRA haven't done too many changes this time around (they seem to have signed no two schemes exactly the same since the TSM was effectively junked, as far as motorways are concerned in 2005)

This one, however is a new sign:

Furet wrote: »

Good to see they are signing tolls much better these days - when the M50 opened all we got was (toll) in brackets if lucky and other schemes weren't tolled at all. Then there was the brief period around 2005-odd of signing "Toll Plaza" as a destination which looked odd. This "Toll" symbol introduced last year is a much better way of doing it and this sign is even better, though a chopsticks symbol should never be seen on the mainline of a motorway.

Furet wrote: »

M/way ahead sign J3:

That's odd. I thought the NRA had decided to junk "NO" signs (as was done in England about 20 years ago). Certainly some of the reclassified schemes in tranche two never got them. So are they back then?

Furet wrote: »

M7 Route Confirmation Signage:

Kildare??? Not Naas, Newbridge, or Clondalkin, all which are much bigger?

Other than that, signage looks excellent and spot on, well for the NRA's current design. Where's that TSM got to I wonder...

spacetweek

icdg wrote: »

Kildare??? Not Naas, Newbridge, or Clondalkin, all which are much bigger?

Kildare must be the control town. It's important in signage to designate certain towns as the point of reference and then consistently refer to them in all related signs.

freighter

MidlandsM wrote: »

Thanks for this - a big fat lunch for biffo & his cronies so after the ribbon cutting at all our expences........no change there then.:P

Ya and a tanker load of guinness for him to wash it down. I was just watching the news and it showed him and mary harney in the dail. They are getting more alike everyday in appearance that is:D.

Wouldnt you think they would bring the men on the ground out for a feed not them ff fools or fg fools if anyone thinks im being political;)

wingfo

freighter wrote: »

Ya and a tanker load of guinness for him to wash it down. I was just watching the news and it showed him and mary harney in the dail. They are getting more alike everyday in appearance that is:D.

Wouldnt you think they would bring the men on the ground out for a feed not them ff fools or fg fools if anyone thinks im being political;)

Ah come on now we have to make an effort to make them feel important
and let them think we believe all there BS.:D

Amtmann

Back on topic, what is happening again to the old N7 and N8? How will the reclassifications work here?

Stark

Last I heard, N8 is going to be R639 as far as Durrow and N77 from Durrow - Portlaoise? I presume the old N7 will be R445 throughout as there are currently no N roads joining with the old N7 on this section.

Amtmann

So Abbeyleix will still have a pretty major route running right through it - much less traffic on the N77 than the N8 of course, but still, not really ideal.

AlanD

Stark wrote: »

Last I heard, N8 is going to be R639 as far as Durrow and N77 from Durrow - Portlaoise? I presume the old N7 will be R445 throughout as there are currently no N roads joining with the old N7 on this section.

In the case of the N7, why would they not just leave it as the N7? Since it still is a National Primary Route, but the M7 supersedes it. Doesn't make sense to make every old N route an R route.

veryangryman

AlanD wrote: »

In the case of the N7, why would they not just leave it as the N7? Since it still is a National Primary Route, but the M7 supersedes it. Doesn't make sense to make every old N route an R route.

It does when the NRA have to provide money to all N roads. Reclassifying them makes it the council who have to mind them.

In fairness to the NRA, they shouldnt have to take on extra work for road maintenance so the best way is to just look after the main routes and leave the "spare" old roads upto locals to care about

As Marge Simpson once sang...

"But main-streets still all cracked and broken"

Oh how i think of Enfield/Abbeyleix when i hear that tune...

L1011

AlanD wrote: »

In the case of the N7, why would they not just leave it as the N7? Since it still is a National Primary Route, but the M7 supersedes it. Doesn't make sense to make every old N route an R route.

We use route number inheritance, so once there's an Mx, there can't be an Nx in the same area. Makes perfect sense.

Colm R

AlanD wrote: »

In the case of the N7, why would they not just leave it as the N7? Since it still is a National Primary Route, but the M7 supersedes it. Doesn't make sense to make every old N route an R route.

Its just the way it is done here. I can see your argument. However think of it this way. The M7 is really the National route number 7, but classified as a motorway. So, if it is the N7, a parallel N7 is not allowed to exist.

Legally, there is no such road as an M7, or M anything on the Irish Statute books. For this reason, the M50 is considered in legal speak, the N50. However it has a Motorway Order (I think thats what its called) on it.

Personally, I actually prefer it the way we do it as opposed to the UK, where you can have, for example an M1 and A1 in parallel and then going in different directions.

AlanD

Thanks guys for the explanation. I understand it now.

cc

i know it not going to happen but i think we should have a new road category something along the lines of an 'A' road, only so we can distinguish between a country boreen and an ex N road that now are both R roads

Rovi

I seem to remember someone explaining somewhere (possibly here) that the main interurban routes take the N (National) designation.
In this particular case, most of the interurban between Dublin and Limerick happens to be of motorway standard and so gets the M (Motorway) designation, but it's all still the 'N' 7.

This is my vague recollection anyway, I'm very much open to correction.


Added:
I really should refresh the thread before posting

tinkerbell

Rovi wrote: »

Bit of info I got from an engineer yesterday:
Biffo will be cutting the ribbon on this scheme at noon, and the engineers have been told to have it ready for traffic between 1 and 2. Official opening time is 4.

The actual location of the opening ceremony is being kept 'confidential', as there are fears that Beloved Leader would likely be that target of protests, and it wouldn't do for that sort of thing to spoil the buzz.
The current thinking is that it will be on the new section immediately after Junction 18, somewhere behind the construction works yard/offices.
We'll see.

Neither myself nor any of the other handful of former landowners on the scheme whom I've spoken to have been invited to the opening, and the engineer says that none of the engineering/construction people have been either.

Coolio! I'ma drive down either Fri evening or Sat morning - think I'll leave it to Sat and go early. It'll be great to see how much time this takes off my journey now. Now they just need to open the part between Nenagh and Borris-in-Ossory and I'll just zip along in no time!

By the by, where's the toll plaza for the M7 part (I won't be going on the M8)? I have an eflow tag, will that work on it?

popebenny16

tinkerbell wrote: »

Coolio! I'ma drive down either Fri evening or Sat morning - think I'll leave it to Sat and go early. It'll be great to see how much time this takes off my journey now. Now they just need to open the part between Nenagh and Borris-in-Ossory and I'll just zip along in no time!

By the by, where's the toll plaza for the M7 part (I won't be going on the M8)? I have an eflow tag, will that work on it?

toll plaza is juist after portloaise, just before the m7/m8 split, so you be caught anyway. not sure about the e flow tags - they should work isnt that a nationwide thingy?

i will say there will be parties in Mountrath and Abbeyleix Friday evening

popebenny16

noticed recently that they changed the information signs at the old M7/N7 junction on the portlaoise bypass, no longer pointing to cork at the junction, and Cork on the new overhead being blanked out till Friday. have waited so long to see that