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

tinkerbell

^^ Just checked the eflow website, apparantly eflow tags work on all other motorways, yay.

larryone

Is the cullohill junction currently closed??
If someone could confirm, as I'd like to update Openstreetmap to reflect this.

GeneHunt

I'm head down that way on Friday next can't wait to see the new Motorway on the way back. It maybe the last time for me passing through Abbeyleix.:D:D:D

I going down Friday morning early, so can I still join the M8 south of Culohill or is there a detour? What progress is the tie-in south of Culohill at, is the mainline ready to open on to the Existing M8 and all thats to be done is to close the on and off ramps to the roundabout?

Jayzus, Larryone are you looking over my shoulder? Both of us asking the same kind of questions...

Stark

If you go down early on Friday morning, you won't be able to get on the motorway until just before Urlingford.

GeneHunt

Stark wrote: »

If you go down early on Friday morning, you won't be able to get on the motorway until just before Urlingford.

Ah feck it

Typewriter

larryone wrote: »

Is the cullohill junction currently closed??
If someone could confirm, as I'd like to update Openstreetmap to reflect this.

Yes.

I went Cork-Dublin-Cork yesterday and i can confirm that it's closed and is in the process off being dug up and eradicated.

You enter and exit the motorway from junction 4 Urlingford.

Amtmann

green_jesus wrote: »

Yes.

I went Cork-Dublin-Cork yesterday and i can confirm that it's closed and is in the process off being dug up and eradicated.

Nice sentence. I almost pity the Cullahill roundabout after reading that.

veryangryman

Portlaoise and now Culahill exit closed - lads what the feck?!

Stark

Portlaoise exit closed? How are people meant to get to Cork if they can't get off at Portlaoise and the motorway isn't yet open?

secondattempt

I was on it on my bike south of Abbeyleix at the week end. It will make Dublin to Laois so much easier.

Is it still on course to open on Thursday? Im hoping to bypass Abbeyleix when I head down tomorrow.

Amtmann

secondattempt wrote: »

Is it still on course to open on Thursday? Im hoping to bypass Abbeyleix when I head down tomorrow.

It's opening on Friday afternoon I'm afraid, not Thursday.

Stark

secondattempt wrote: »

Is it still on course to open on Thursday? Im hoping to bypass Abbeyleix when I head down tomorrow.

I answered that only 5 posts up.

L1011

tinkerbell wrote: »

^^ Just checked the eflow website, apparantly eflow tags work on all other motorways, yay.

ALL tags work on ALL tolls.

Chris_5339762

Someone get out there with a camera and take pictures of Abbeyleix, Durrow and the rest of the road at rush hour We need pics of the last section before and after M7/8 opening.

emfifty

noticed new signs being erected on the n7 (past kill exit 7 SB) notifying drivers; there will be no "offline" services on the M7 or M8 or M9 for X Kms to each city. Unusual to say the least. We will start to notice brown tourist signs also notifying drivers of the nearest service station 1km "offline". it's a far cry from the msa's but it will have to do for now!:)

rameire

emfifty wrote: »

noticed new signs being erected on the n7 (past kill exit 7 SB) notifying drivers; there will be no "offline" services on the M7 or M8 or M9 for X Kms to each city. Unusual to say the least. We will start to notice brown tourist signs also notifying drivers of the nearest service station 1km "offline". it's a far cry from the msa's but it will have to do for now!:)

saw that sign too.
nicely placed
was going to start a thread or two on the new sign.
i was expecting more of those signs along the route.
but i suppose the esso after the sign is the last service station on the main road.



edit: ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh 1000 posts.

Hoof Hearted

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!

So is Borris in Ossory and Carrick on Fergus, or is Carrick on Suir? What will Shannon have to say about Carrick?:D

Jayuu

MYOB wrote: »

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

How does the N1 fit into this process then? The M1 runs directly into it at the northern end and there's only a mile of M50 between it and the N1 at the southern end.
Also the N9 leads to the M9 although I'm not sure if the roundabout is the N9 or the N24. I know its less than a 1km stretch but it does exist.

L1011

Jayuu wrote: »

How does the N1 fit into this process then? The M1 runs directly into it at the northern end and there's only a mile of M50 between it and the N1 at the southern end.
Also the N9 leads to the M9 although I'm not sure if the roundabout is the N9 or the N24. I know its less than a 1km stretch but it does exist.

"covering" the same area might be a better term. Nearly every motorway in the country turns back in to the same N - entirely due to route inheritance.

The M1 is basically motorway sections of "route 1", N1 are non-motorway sections.

Its also the reason why all roads are uniquely numbered - one or two digits for national, three for regional. 4 or 5 for local but they are cycled county by county it appears.

Jayuu

Ah, I see. I misunderstood what you were saying in your original post.

Actually while I consider it, is the roundabout (N9/N24/M9) unique in being the only place with three national routes terminating in the one place?
Sorry, I know this is off-topic.

L1011

Jayuu wrote: »

Actually while I consider it, is the roundabout (N9/N24/M9) unique in being the only place with three national routes terminating in the one place?
Sorry, I know this is off-topic.

The N9 and M9 are the same national route and only the N24 is terminating

And no:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sligo&sll=52.402192,-1.500023&sspn=0.000257,0.000862&g=Cheylesmore,+Allesley,+West+Midlands,+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sligo,+County+Sligo,+Ireland&ll=54.278857,-8.460588&spn=0.015735,0.055189&z=14

The N4 terminates and the N15/N16 spawn at one location in Sligo.

Carawaystick

Jayuu wrote: »

Ah, I see. I misunderstood what you were saying in your original post.

Actually while I consider it, is the roundabout (N9/N24/M9) unique in being the only place with three national routes terminating in the one place?
Sorry, I know this is off-topic.

Nope that's only two routes, 9 and 24. The M is a qualifier that shows there's restrictions on the motorway.

There's the M6/N6/N62 at Athlone which is similar
and the M20/N21/N20 near Limerick

and the M8/N8/N25 where you've to turn off the N8 to the M8 and off the N25 to the N25 strangeness at Dunkettle

Jayuu

MYOB wrote: »

The N9 and M9 are the same national route and only the N24 is terminating

And no:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sligo&sll=52.402192,-1.500023&sspn=0.000257,0.000862&g=Cheylesmore,+Allesley,+West+Midlands,+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sligo,+County+Sligo,+Ireland&ll=54.278857,-8.460588&spn=0.015735,0.055189&z=14

The N4 terminates and the N15/N16 spawn at one location in Sligo.

Ah yes of course, that makes sense. And am I right in thinking now that the Limerick Tunnel has been designated the N18 we'll have another where this terminates into the M7 and M20? Or should I just give up now?

Last off-topic post, I promise!

Danno

MYOB wrote: »

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

The NRA should have allocated R numbers of importance to the old N routes...

i.e.

N7 - R700
N8 - R800
N11- R110
N25- R250 etc...

Danno

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;)

Biffo will be in Durrow at around 6pm to launch the celebrations planned.

//anyone bringing eggs is asked to clean up any mis-hits afterwards!!! //

L1011

Woman from Abbeyleix Tidy Towns was on Morning Ireland there - apparently they're having some party today for the last day of heavy traffic. Seemed fairly sure they were going to still get enough passing traffic for the hotel / cafes, I'm not so sure.

PGL

guys

sorry if this has been asked already, but what time is this final section of the M8 opening tomorrow? i am heading down to cork from dublin tomorrow afternoon, and would obviously like to speed up my journey by avoiding abbeyleix and durrow..

cheers!

Rovi

Opening ceremony at noon, officially open to the public at 4.
Engineers have been told to have it ready to go between 1 and 2.

Amtmann

Any photos of the new signage on the Portlaoise Bypass section?

Rovi

http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/New-era-as-motorway-opens.6319098.jp

New era as motorway opens

Published Date: 26 May 2010
By Staff Reporter

THE long era of traffic torment for a host of Laois towns and local people will come to an end this week when the M7/M8 motorways open for business.

An Taoiseach Brian Cowen will be on hand this Friday to cut the ribbon on the final section of the M8 motorway to Cork and the Laois section of the M7 Dublin to Limerick road. The new roads will connect to the existing Portlaoise by-pass and remove a number of notorious traffic bottlenecks in Laois.

While there have been worries over the business impact, the opening will have an immediate effect for many towns. Abbeyleix, Durrow and Cullahill will be bypassed on the Cork Road while there will also be relief for Mountrath and Borris-in-Ossory. Apart from Portlaoise, Rathdowney will now be the closest Laois town to a motorway exit.

The opening of the €405m Portlaoise to Cullahill scheme completes the State's investment of almost €2.6 billion on the entire 250km route from Dublin to Cork's. The cost works out at about €10.4 million a kilometre.

The M8 will feature a new toll on the Portlaoise to Cullahill section, costing €1.80 for a passenger car. This is in addition to the existing toll of €1.90 on the route at Fermoy.

According to Ian McCormack, SEO Economic Development & County Promotion with Laois County Council, "The opening of the motorway will improve the transport link between Dublin and Cork, reduce traffic intensity in our towns and villages and will improve safety, traffic organisation, and travelling conditions for all road users".

"It will also make Laois more accessible. It will be an element from an economic and tourism perspective in maximising the potential of the county in terms of its geographical location," he said.

"It will also help to create conditions to promote sustainable economic development in the county and broaden the county’s economic base and help to present the county as a place capable of attracting inward investment," he concluded.

The M7 all the way to Limerick is due to be finished later this year.

The toll isn't on the M8, but anyway... :rolleyes: