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

Amtmann

jambofc wrote: »

another toll,so if i have a delivery to cork from Dublin(avoiding m50 toll)i will have to fork out 13.60 on a return journey out of my own pocket,can anyone give me the best way to avoid both toll's,last time i came of at mitchelstown and used old road,is there a better way for that toll and any one no how to avoid the new one,is it the durrow exit? if so when do i get back on to motorway?
thanks in advance,time's are hard and iv cut my charges so much that losing another 13 euro every time just isn't practical for me.

Would you not at least test out both tolls on a single journey for at least one week and then use neither tolled section the following week to compare? Or maybe at least use one on any given day? From a reliability, and most importantly, a safety point of view, you are MUCH better off using the tolled sections.

Jomcc

Some pics.


Off ramp at Junction 3 going north.


On ramp at Junction 3 going north.

Final preparations at Portlaoise end.






And the big question...........


Will this be last view of queues into Abbeyleix on a Friday morning?????????

Mr_grinche

tinkerbell wrote: »

So does anyone know what the journey time will be from Dublin to Limerick and Dublin to Cork once the new M7 and M8 are open? Thanks!

I drive from Mahon to Bray twice a week as I work in cork and it takes me 2 Hours and fifteen minutes door to door. I do however drive this at 85 miles an hour a little over the speed limit. Once the M8 bypass of abbeyleix opens later this morning I will have motorway all the way so am expecting to do it in 1 hour fifty minutes,

Griche

StPatsFc

Long time follower.First Time poster.

Can someone please post up a map with new junction lay outs of the M7/M8. Its very much appreciated

Amtmann

The junction schemes for both the M7 and M8 are clickable here: http://www.midlink.ie/gpage.html

larrym

85mph = 137KPH.
Speed Limit is 120KPH

This is not "a little over the speed limit" - it is substantially and dangerously over the speed limit.

Amtmann

Map of this particular section is here:

roosterman71

jmorrisey wrote: »

Hey folks, just seeking advice.

I live in Abbeyleix but am from Cork. I head south average twice a week and to be honest cant really afford to pay the extra charge over a sustained period of time. Of course i will use it but if i want to avoid it from time to time in both directions what will i do. Thanks in advance for any advise

You just drive the road to Urlingford, hop onto the M8 and head to Cork. You'll still hit the Fermoy toll.

In order for you to hit the Portlaoise toll, you'd need to drive from Abbeyleix to Portlaoise, then onto the M7. Going to Cork from Abeeyleix this way would be absolute madness.

CrowdedHouse

What happened to 2 ?

Stark

Someone's added access=private tags to the Urlingford-Cullahill section on Openstreetmap. I'm guessing this is to indicate that it's tolled. Should this be the case given that you'll be able to get off at Junction 3 without paying the toll? Or is the access=private tag temporary to indicate that you currently can't access that section of motorway until the rest is open?

Amtmann

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

What happened to 2 ?

Two was omitted by An Bord Pleanála (ABP) because they felt it would create a rat run to Ballacolla and also, because they felt that land needed to be kept clear to construct a future full access M7/M8 junction if needed. ABP said they would reject the scheme unless junction 2 was excluded. The NRA decided to stick with the numbering scheme regardless.

Hogzy

larrym wrote: »

This is not "a little over the speed limit" - it is substantially and dangerously over the speed limit.

Not on a motorway!
Perfectly safe IMO but its against the law.I wouldnt say its morally wrong to do that speed.

MrDerp

larrym wrote: »

85mph = 137KPH.
Speed Limit is 120KPH

This is not "a little over the speed limit" - it is substantially and dangerously over the speed limit.

Don't agree on the 'dangerously' bit. Design speed for much of the motorway is 140kph or more.

The only place this speed is dangerous (in areas with a 120kph limit) is through the Cashel bypass section.

Much prefer fellas bombing along at 137kph to the ****er who pulls out in front of me in the overtaking lane, at 100kph, when I'm overtaking a group of cars at the speed limit, or a little over - I tend to keep my speed up with any car overtaking in front of me, just to avoid these situations where some numpty is encouraged to try get into the gap at a dangerously low speed.

StPatsFc

Furet wrote: »

The junction schemes for both the M7 and M8 are clickable here: http://www.midlink.ie/gpage.html

Good lad thanks a mill.

funnyname

Sorry if this has been asked before but why are junctions 5 and 8 only half junctions?

Also wouldn't it have been a good idea to make the m7/m8 junction into a one where traffic from the west could go south and traffic from the south could go west?

Amtmann

funnyname wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before but why are junctions 5 and 8 only half junctions?

Also wouldn't it have been a good idea to make the m7/m8 junction into a one where traffic from the west could go south and traffic from the south could go west?

Junction 8 is actually a full junction since last November. So on that score, the map is wrong. Junction 5 is restricted access for some reason I can't really fathom but mostly likely to do with short-forecast traffic numbers. If the proposed Tipperary Venue goes ahead, it will have to be rebuilt.

big mce

Saying a speed of 137k is dangerous on a motorway is a bit off. The speed limit on a French autoroute is 130k which I would regard as a similar quality road to our motorways. In my opinion 120 is too slow!

cc

have they put in any lay-by's on the new stretch? it seems quite a long stretch from junction 3 to 4 if the kids decide they need to answer the call of nature without warning!

Zuisse

another link with map of area - showing roads all roads around motorway if you're looking to avoid toll.
http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N8PortlaoisetoCullahillCastletown/Map,16479,en.pdf
the position of this toll makes it difficult to avoid without adding about 15 min onto your journey. For the sake of €1.80 I'll be paying the toll even though I'll be using it every day and only getting on at Portlaoise.
The same thing happened when the Fermoy by-pass opened. Loads avoided it at the start but most realised it wasn't worth the hassle, extra time etc using the old road
by the way - I'll be using the motorway today about 5 so I'll post an update on it later. Can't wait

sleepyman

Can someone confirm if the M7 part of the scheme finishes in Castletown or just south of Borris in Ossory? I think someone mentioned before that it was misleading to say it terminated in Castletown.I think there's a 12km distance between the two.thanks

Stark

It finishes here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=52.9242&mlon=-7.6295&zoom=14&layers=B000FTF

funnyname

the junction on the top left of this http://www.midlink.ie/gpage.html looks like junction 5 and judging from that it looks to me that space was an issue hence the reason they went for half a junction.

Amtmann

funnyname wrote: »

the junction on the top left of this http://www.midlink.ie/gpage.html looks like junction 5 and judging from that it looks to me that space was an issue hence the reason they went for half a junction.

No, that's an old photo of the start of the M7 Portlaoise Bypass, which has been rebuilt now because of the new scheme opening today.

Amtmann

The Taosieach has opened the last section of the Dublin to Cork motorway today.

The new section will reduce the journey time from Dublin’s Red Cow roundabout to Cork’s Dunkettle Interchange from about three hours to two hours 20 minutes.

At about two hours 50 minutes city centre to city centre on average, the travel time now compares with Iarnród Éireann’s advertised intercity services between Dublin and Cork, which range from about two hours 45 minutes to three hours 15 minutes.

It also compares with the 7.30am Aircoach service from Cork city which arrives at Dublin airport at 10.50 am.

Morning Ryanair and Aer Arran flights from Cork to Dublin are scheduled to take 50 and 55 minutes respectively. Considering a check-in time of at least one hour before flights, travelling by road will from today also be comparable to travelling by air.

It is a long way from the late 1970s or 1980s when, according to the AA, the average journey time between Dublin and Cork was between four and 30 minutes and five hours.

The main Dublin to Cork road, the T6, then went via Kilkenny, which was slightly longer than today’s M8.

Developed at a cost of €2.6 billion, the motorway from Dublin to Cork first takes the N7/M7 southwest from Dublin, via Co Kildare to Portlaoise, Co Laois.

From there it swings south to become the M8 and continues through Co Tipperary to Co Cork and the Dunkettle Interchange, from where it becomes the N8 into Cork City.

The route, at 253km, is the longest of five major inter-urban routes designed to link Dublin with the regional cities and the Border.

The other routes link Dublin to Galway, Limerick, Waterford and northwest of Dundalk on the Border with Northern Ireland.

Just 218km of the Dublin to Cork route is to be officially designated motorway, stretching from the Dunkettle Interchange to Naas in Co Kildare. From there to Dublin’s Red Cow Roundabout there are 20km of triple-carriageway on the N7, followed by about eight kilometres of the N7 to Dublin city centre.

The distance from Cork city to the Dunkettle Interchange is about four kilometres. The total distance city centre to city centre is about 253 kilometres.

At about 238km of motorway and high-grade triple-carriageway, the cost of the upgrade works out at almost €11 million per kilometre.

This compares with €40 million per kilometre for the Luas extension to Cherrywood, which is due to open in October.

It also compares with a cost of less than €2 million per kilometre for the reopening the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis, Co Clare, and Athenry, Co Galway.

The cost of Metro North, assuming a price tag of €5 billion, is €277 million per kilometre.

The opening of the final section from Portlaoise to Cullahill in Co Laois will bypass the commuter towns of Abbeyleix, Durrow and Cullahill.

The 40km Y-shaped section will take Cork-bound traffic from the existing Portlaoise bypass to the existing M8 at Cullahill.

It will also take Limerick-bound traffic from the Portlaoise bypass to Castletown, where remaining sections of the M7 Limerick motorway are under construction.

A toll plaza is to be installed, taking in traffic on both the Limerick and Cork routes and is expected to net millions on the new route alone.

The toll will be 90 cents for a motorbike, rising to €5.70 for heavy goods vehicles. Passenger cars are to be charged €1.80.

Coining It: Motorway Fees

Motorists travelling through the new M7/M8 junction will be asked to pay a toll of €1.80 per car, rising to €5.70 for trucks, to access the newly completed motorway between Dublin and Cork.

Motorists travelling through the same junction to and from Limerick will have to pay the toll – with the Limerick part of the motorway running out after 10km.

From today, motorists heading in the Cork direction will pass the Portlaoise junction and travel for 17km along the new road to the plaza. After the plaza, they will swing south for 14km to link up with the existing M8 to Cork.

Motorists heading in the Limerick direction will pass the Portlaoise junction and travel for 17km along the new road in a southwesterly direction to the plaza. From there, they will travel on 10km of motorway before returning to the old N7 close to Borris-in-Ossory.

But as the new toll plaza serves the M7 and M8, all traffic using the junction must pay. An NRA spokesman acknowledged the anomaly, but said the Limerick motorway was due to be completed by this October.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0528/breaking15.html

BluntGuy

...there are 20km of triple-carriageway on the N7...

larrym

big mce wrote: »

Saying a speed of 137k is dangerous on a motorway is a bit off. The speed limit on a French autoroute is 130k which I would regard as a similar quality road to our motorways. In my opinion 120 is too slow!

your opinion (or mine) isn't the law! 120 is the max allowed, and if that's what most drivers stick too then having a few driving near 140 is dangerous.

There is way too much bad driving on our motorways from speed to tailgating to weaving in & out of traffic - mostly down to arrogance and impatience, without having this board advocate that very behaviour.

namaimo

I know the Taoiseach is opening the road today at 12pm but what time is it open to the public?

MidlandsM

larrym wrote: »

your opinion (or mine) isn't the law! 120 is the max allowed, and if that's what most drivers stick too then having a few driving near 140 is dangerous.

There is way too much bad driving on our motorways from speed to tailgating to weaving in & out of traffic - mostly down to arrogance and impatience, without having this board advocate that very behaviour.

A traiffic corp Garda told me he cruises @ 130kp/h when driving off duty in his own car, and when I asked would it be ok for a civilian to do so, he said Yes, you'd encounter no issues from the force.

namaimo

Whoops! Was too interested in reading the thread and not the title!

db

larrym wrote: »

your opinion (or mine) isn't the law! 120 is the max allowed, and if that's what most drivers stick too then having a few driving near 140 is dangerous.

There is way too much bad driving on our motorways from speed to tailgating to weaving in & out of traffic - mostly down to arrogance and impatience, without having this board advocate that very behaviour.

The Motors forum is over that way

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>. They love these posts over there. This forum is for discussing the infrastructure.