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

Chris_5339762

See this one could be interesting, cos as far as I'm aware its the first time the bypass road has not been redesignated an R road.

From Portlaoise to Abbeyleix its N77 now, so that could easily be 100kmh. From Abbeyleix to Urlingford is R road, so that will probably go to 80kmh. Will be interesting to see what they do.

Wild Bill

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

That's really surprising about the surface, the only m road I travel regularly is the m6 Loughrea to Galway - it's like the proverbial billiard table

Loughrea to Galway is, IMO, is an exceptionally good surface and vertical alignment in terms of the recent motorways.

Certainly compared to the M50 (N4 to N81); the M11 (Gorey bypass); the M8 (Mitchelstown to Cashel); the M4 (Kilcock to the toll plaza) and the N25 (Waterford bypass), the N25 Cork Southern Ring.

Very good roads are the M4 (Galway - Ballinasloe); M9 (all of it); M1 (all of it); N/M11 (Glen of the Downs to the end of the M11 stretch); M2.

Our man in Havana

eoinm1 wrote: »

As the old N7 was a 100KPH national primary route and new M7 120KPH motorway is tolled will the old stretch be reduced to 80KPH?

My thinking is that as it is tolled this section should remain 100KPH as if you want to go faster you can pay, but if your not happy to pay extra you should not be made go slower.

Does any one know the official line on this?

When a tolled motorway is put in place is the old N road checked to 80KPH?


Regards,
Eoin

Yes.

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

See this one could be interesting, cos as far as I'm aware its the first time the bypass road has not been redesignated an R road.

From Portlaoise to Abbeyleix its N77 now, so that could easily be 100kmh. From Abbeyleix to Urlingford is R road, so that will probably go to 80kmh. Will be interesting to see what they do.

Portlaoise to Durrow (N77)will remain at 100 km/h.

The former N7 now R445 from Borris in Ossory to Portlaoise is now 80 km/h.

MidlandsM

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

From Abbeyleix to Urlingford is R road, so that will probably go to 80kmh. Will be interesting to see what they do.

I was on this road today, and it was DEAD - very little traffic.

Amtmann

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

The big test will be next weekend. I'm fully expecting it to take me as long to get from the centre of Dublin to Newlands as it will to get me from Newlands to Dunkettle

Wouldn't surprise me if this toll plaza builds up some substantial queues at certain times. In this case, Midlink is obliged to lift the barriers and let the cars through for free.

Our man in Havana

But will it happen?

Wild Bill

digiman wrote: »

From Dunkettle to Red Cow took me about 1 hour 50mins this evening, (6-8pm) 5mins slower than when I went down yesterday. Very impressed with the new road.

Clearly you are a normal person and not one employed by the Irish Times!

Stark

To be fair, I was held up a good bit at Newland's cross at about 5:30 on Friday evening so that would have added to the journey time from the Red Cow. Took me about 2hrs and 10 mins from Newland's to Dunkettle (excluding pit stop in Portlaoise) mostly due to heavy traffic and overlaking lane hoggers/middle lane morons most of the way from Newland's to Newbridge.

(Still reckon it didn't take me much more than 2 and a half hours though).

etchyed

csd wrote: »

2. Approaching the old end of the motorway, with Cork now signed straight ahead.

Is the M7 wide median all the way up to J18? If it is surely it would have made sense to build J18-J19 as wide median too to allow for a future upgrade to 3 lanes before the diverge.

John C

Furet wrote: »

Wouldn't surprise me if this toll plaza builds up some substantial queues at certain times. In this case, Midlink is obliged to lift the barriers and let the cars through for free.

This is in response to the idea that in the case of substantial queues the barriers would be lifted. What happens if it comes down to it?

There are Toll Plazas on the Italian Autostrada. Once upon a time, an ambulance with flashing blue light was held up at the plaza by three cars.
The expectancy was that the personnel would lift the barriers after asking them to park and pay in one minute.
Only when the tolls were paid was the ambulance left through.

Ireland is not Italy. That was some years ago. It was not necessarily a representative sample.

Enbee

etchyed wrote: »

Is the M7 wide median all the way up to J18? If it is surely it would have made sense to build J18-J19 as wide median too to allow for a future upgrade to 3 lanes before the diverge.

From pix 4 & 5 in the same post it would appear not. Given that the M7 is only being widened to D3M as far as the M9 now it's unlikely that it will need to be widened as far as J19 in the near future.

I wonder how much that future proofing would have cost though? Would the extra land take and costs of constructing two carriageways rather than just the one very wide one have been high enough to make the cost significantly more expensive?

etchyed

Enbee wrote: »

From pix 4 & 5 in the same post it would appear not.

Pictures 4&5 show the section beyond J18, which is new and part of this scheme. Obviously it's been built with a narrow median, that's why I raised the point.

Does anyone know how many overbridges there are between J18 and J19?

etchyed

http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KildareCountyCouncil/N7MonasterevinBypassHeathMayfield/SchemeName,16512,en.html

I Googled.

So it IS wide median, ready for three lanes, all the way to J18, whereupon just 10-15km before the road splits in two, the standard drops. I know we're probably a couple of decades away from the M7 ever being D3M as far as the M8 diverge but why on earth mess up this last few kms when the rest is so futureproofed. Somebody please tell me I'm talking shíte and the bridges on this stretch are wide.

sdanseo

Furet wrote: »

Wouldn't surprise me if this toll plaza builds up some substantial queues at certain times. In this case, Midlink is obliged to lift the barriers and let the cars through for free.

John C wrote: »

This is in response to the idea that in the case of substantial queues the barriers would be lifted. What happens if it comes down to it?

There are Toll Plazas on the Italian Autostrada. Once upon a time, an ambulance with flashing blue light was held up at the plaza by three cars.
The expectancy was that the personnel would lift the barriers after asking them to park and pay in one minute.
Only when the tolls were paid was the ambulance left through.

Ireland is not Italy. That was some years ago. It was not necessarily a representative sample.

The toll operator is contractually obliged to lift the barriers if the tailback takes >15 minutes to reach the toll plaza, or so my lecturer on the topic told me last year. Granted his reference was to the M1.

It makes perfect sense - if they're slow enough that they can't get the traffic through efficiently, they lose revenue. Hence they spawned proper express lanes for thos of us with tags - think I went through one and didn't drop below about 80km/h once. Excellent stuff (yeah Im bold, I know it says 25km/h, deal with it)

veryangryman

sdonn wrote: »

think I went through one and didn't drop below about 80km/h once. Excellent stuff (yeah Im bold, I know it says 25km/h, deal with it)

As my friend roosterman71 once remarked on the M7 at an 80KMPH sign

"Puh - 80 Kilometres per hour"

And motored on at 120!

Rovi

csd wrote: »

13. This layby is not designated for parking; the sign reads "Garda only" and there's a gate available to close off access.

KevR wrote: »

Nice photos csd!!


Is it just me or does anyone else think this gate should be painted? It blends in with the road by day and I'm guessing it would be difficult to see at night also.

The plastic bollard beside the gate are orange and reflective for a very good reason..

Danno wrote: »

The gate should be painted. Good suggestion. Why the need for a gate though!

I'm pretty sure the gate is open in that photo, it certainly was on Friday when I drove past it. That said, it's made of galvanised steel and didn't appear to have any high-visibility marking on it (at least I didn't notice any whilst passing by), so it could very well be 'invisible' under many circumstances when closed.

That 'lay-by' is for Gardai to use when checking lorries and other outlaws (:D) and is not intended for the general public to use as a rest stop, hence the gate.

Nuttzz

surely building it on a bend, garda use or not is stupid when you consider traffic will have to pull out from it

Rovi

By way of a bit of on-the-ground experience of the R445 (the road formerly known as N7) over the weekend, there's certainly a noticeable reduction in westbound traffic but eastbound is more ambiguous.
As others have already said, it appears to be that westbound traffic on the M7 (from Dublin) is tending to stay on it for the duration in spite of having to traverse the toll plaza, but much of the eastbound traffic on the N7 (from Roscrea/Limerick) is opting to stick with it up to M7/J18 as they have been doing for the last while.
I'm suspecting that we're going to have to wait until the opening of the Nenagh/Borris-in-Ossory scheme before we see the full benefit of the new roads around here.

larrym

Cullahill was very quiet yesterday afternoon/evening. Big change.

That "lay-by" was being used by members of the public over the weekend, I saw one guy stop and get out for a piss. Clearly a sign that service stations are needed!

Rovi

Nuttzz wrote: »

surely building it on a bend, garda use or not is stupid when you consider traffic will have to pull out from it

To quote Alfred, Lord Tennyson:
"Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:"

Those things, and their lesser brethren the open public lay-bys, always struck me as goofy things to have right at the side of the mainline of a modern motorway.
I'm sure some highly educated architect/engineer/consultant somewhere has calculated that they're the bees-knees, but I fail to see the benefit of them vs. the pretty obvious dangers they present.

Stark

Rovi wrote: »

Those things, and their lesser brethren the open public lay-bys, always struck me as goofy things to have right at the side of the mainline of a modern motorway.
I'm sure some highly educated architect/engineer/consultant somewhere has calculated that they're the bees-knees, but I fail to see the benefit of them vs. the pretty obvious dangers they present.

Slightly better than having people stopping for a piss in the hard shoulder I suppose (which I see regularly).

Jomcc

Went for a spin from Portlaoise to Urlingford yesterday on M8. About 2km south of Toll Plaza, met two clowns on bicycles with fishing rods strapped to their backs cycling north...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Stark

Saw a few eejits driving slowly in the hard shoulder along the M7 section as well on Friday evening. I was just grateful I wasn't stuck behind them on the old road!

Irish and Proud

etchyed wrote: »

Is the M7 wide median all the way up to J18? If it is surely it would have made sense to build J18-J19 as wide median too to allow for a future upgrade to 3 lanes before the diverge.

Yes mate!

The M7 is wide median all the way to J18 (Portlaoise West), but continues as narrow median from there through the toll plaza to J19 and beyond for both the M7 and M8 motorways. IMO, the wide median should have continued to J19 where an upgrade would have been possible to as far as the M7/M8 diverge. BTW, many of the ramps on the new section seem very long! :eek:

Regards!

Irish and Proud

Jomcc wrote: »

Went for a spin from Portlaoise to Urlingford yesterday on M8. About 2km south of Toll Plaza, met two clowns on bicycles with fishing rods strapped to their backs cycling north...:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Maybe they thought the giant cycle track was still open!

How did they get through the toll plaza though - maybe there were turned back... :pac:

StPatsFc

Going to Templemore in a week or two from Dublin.
Unsure weather to take the M8(Thurles/2MileBorris slip) or go with the M7 to B-I-O.
What you think? Much of a muchness Id say

Our man in Havana

Indeed, there would be nothing in it distance wise. Time wise it would be quicker to go M7 to Borris and then to Roscrea and Templemore as you won't have to negotiate the traffic in Thurles which can be hellish.

StPatsFc

Good lad thanks.
Cant wait to by-pass Mountrath...

Irish and Proud

etchyed wrote: »

http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KildareCountyCouncil/N7MonasterevinBypassHeathMayfield/SchemeName,16512,en.html

I Googled.

So it IS wide median, ready for three lanes, all the way to J18, whereupon just 10-15km before the road splits in two, the standard drops. I know we're probably a couple of decades away from the M7 ever being D3M as far as the M8 diverge but why on earth mess up this last few kms when the rest is so futureproofed. Somebody please tell me I'm talking shíte and the bridges on this stretch are wide.

That is right mate! AFAIK, the bridges on the new section are only wide enough for the current spec, but that the verge (2m) must be carried through as well. So that's clearance for 21.6m (pavement) + 4.0m. If the hard shoulder is dropped, then the requirement for D3 would be (my estimate that is):

2 x 1.0m Verge Strips (2.0m in total);
6 x 3.65m Traffic Lanes (21.9m in total);
1 x 2.60m Central Median;
2 x 1.0m Verges (absolute minimum - 2.0m in total);

Total Platform Requirement = 28.5m!
Total Clearance Available = 25.6m! :(:(

Well the choices look pretty stark for un upgrade:

1) Knock all the overbridges and build longer replacements;
2) Parallel widen with a new unidirectional carriageway of:

1 x 3.25m Hard Shoulder (Euro Route Specs - even if no EU country abides!)
3 x 3.65m Traffic Lanes
1 x 1.0m Median Strip

Total Pavement: 15.2m

The existing (new) motorway could be modified to same spec... :pac::pac::pac:

Regards!

John C

sdonn wrote: »

The toll operator is contractually obliged to lift the barriers if the tailback takes >15 minutes to reach the toll plaza, or so my lecturer on the topic told me last year. Granted his reference was to the M1.

It makes perfect sense - if they're slow enough that they can't get the traffic through efficiently, they lose revenue. Hence they spawned proper express lanes for thos of us with tags - think I went through one and didn't drop below about 80km/h once. Excellent stuff (yeah Im bold, I know it says 25km/h, deal with it)

Here is an NRA Press Release from the year 2005.
http://www.n11.ie/News/PressReleases...t,2425,en.html

Taoiseach Opens Kilcock-Kinnegad Bypass
......The PPP agreement provides that:

•each automated toll collection express lane will allow unhindered passage of a vehicle with a valid transponder;
•for each direction of approach to a toll station, the average queue of vehicles calculated across all lanes will be no greater than 6 vehicles; and
•the queue of vehicles waiting in any toll lane shall not exceed 12 vehicles at any time.


This is an ancient article. It refers to Kilcock-Kinnegad Bypass. It only states that the toll plaza operator should not have a car queue of more than 12 vehicles. It does NOT state that when there are thirteen cars plus that the barriers will be opened.

For more Info Google waiting in any toll lane shall not exceed 12 vehicles at any time