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

limklad

ardmacha wrote: »

The narrow median spec motorways have been built where Ireland had not originally intended to build motorways and where traffic density would not warrant a motorway in other countries. These roads are being built in 2010 when car ownership and travel is already a high level. This is quite a different propositon from countriies like Germany or even Britain where motorways were first built when car ownership still had some way to increase and where many vehicles were not comfortable for long fast trips. Future proofing is fine but it is difficult to put forward any reasonable proposition for a huge increase in traffic in locations relatively distant from major population centres.

They plan decades ahead of us and we plan decades catching up and will be decades catchup with our political thinking and lack of foresight. Look at their economy, Britain and Germany are way ahead because they can move goods and people far easier and probably cheaper than us.

ardmacha

I realise this, but it just seems incongruous to have a huge stretch of motorway built to wide median standard and then build the last few kilometres (I'm not sure of the exact length but it's 15 at most) as narrow median.

Wide median to the split wouldn't have been any harm.

Look at their economy, Britain and Germany are way ahead

Even after the recession Irelands GNP remains comparable with Britain and Germany. And Britian in particular has not shown any great foresight in infrastructural matters.

Amtmann

My own view was that, as ardmacha says, car ownership would not climb very much more BUT that more and more people would make interurban journeys in the years after the M8/M7 completion; AND, that also, more traffic would switch from other more traditional routes over time leading to a net increase in AADT on the motorways in the years ahead. I definitely think this will happen. There's also the prospect of a considerable expansion of Cork city in the future, as well as projects like the Tipperary Venue going ahead. These are 'what ifs', but they are surely real possibilities over the next 30 years. Wide median at least should have been constructed imo.

MidlandsM

I was in Johnstown today for a period, and its still getting a fair share of HGV's passingh thru and going onto the M8 @ urlingford- I note a lot of the same haulage co's using it namely Toner, Denis J. Downey to name just 2.
Exit 3 (@manor stone) is quiter tho' for HGV's - there is a few coming off there but no where near as many as there is in Johnstown.

Amtmann

I can also confirm that www.midlink.ie will not be putting up a contact email address on their website. This strikes me as quaint and odd; but if you want to contact them, you'll just have to phone them.

Our man in Havana

Or write an old fashioned letter.

Amtmann

Haddockman wrote: »

Or write an old fashioned letter.

To where? No address is listed on their site - in fact, there is no "contact us" section at all on their page. The only phone number I have seen for Midlink is on the actual road signage. When I called them they said they are only reachable by phone, and that these are manned 24/7. While this is a good thing, it is not really acceptable that a PPP toll operator cannot be contacted by the public via email. I've requested that the NRA intervene and ensure that it is indeed possible to email this company via a clearly displayed address on the www.midlink.ie website. Email is free (unlike phoning) and convenient (unlike printing a page, buying a stamp, going to the post office and waiting at least 3-4 days for a reply) and it has the added advantage of being instantaneous and leaving a record.

invinciblePRSTV

Letters and stamps are for OAPs who know no better.

Back here in the 21st Century it seems crazy that there is no email address for Midlink, given even the most smallest of businesses have a contact email.

Seeing as they were hiring then it can't be too hard to put a computer with a dongle in one of the toll booths and have the operator answer mails on their quiet times.

MidlandsM

Furet wrote: »

To where? No address is listed on their site - in fact, there is no "contact us" section at all on their page. The only phone number I have seen for Midlink is on the actual road signage. When I called them they said they are only reachable by phone, and that these are manned 24/7. While this is a good thing, it is not really acceptable that a PPP toll operator cannot be contacted by the public via email. I've requested that the NRA intervene and ensure that it is indeed possible to email this company via a clearly displayed address on the www.midlink.ie website. Email is free (unlike phoning) and convenient (unlike printing a page, buying a stamp, going to the post office and waiting at least 3-4 days for a reply) and it has the added advantage of being instantaneous and leaving a record.

The following is printed on their reciepts -

Midlink M7/M8 Plaza,
Fatharnagh,
Portloaise,
Co.Laois.
Ph. 057 8694900

no email addy tho'

i checked their vat no to see - no email there either -
VAT Validation Response
Yes, valid VAT number

VAT number IE 9662972N
Member State IE
Name MIDILINK M7/M8 LTD
Address BURTON COURT ,BURTON HALL ROAD ,SANDYFORD INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ,DUBLIN 18
Consultation Number
Date when request received 02/06/2010 (dd/mm/yyyy)

Nuttzz

Interesting that midlink.ie is registered by Southlink N25 Limited

info@midlink.ie is bound to be a valid email address surely?

Amtmann

Nuttzz wrote: »

Interesting that midlink.ie is registered by Southlink N25 Limited

The BAM connection maybe...

murphaph

ardmacha wrote: »

Britian in particular has not shown any great foresight in infrastructural matters.

Disagree. When they built their motorways they were still quite novel and they built all theirs pretty early on. In fact, GB was the birthplace of the industrial revolution, so I'm bemused that someone can accuse them of a lack of foresight.

gryff

murphaph wrote: »

Disagree. When they built their motorways they were still quite novel and they built all theirs pretty early on. In fact, GB was the birthplace of the industrial revolution, so I'm bemused that someone can accuse them of a lack of foresight.

Disagree - Britain came to motorway building long after other major European countries ( France Germany and Italy were constructing them in the 20s and 30s).. the first major motorway in Britain the M1 was finished in 1968.. this of course has nothing to do with foresight - more like lack of money after the war.

Amtmann

Back to the M7/M8 please lads. A new thread on Britain's infrastructural prowess can be started on the forum if needs be, but this is veering way off topic.

D.L.R.

ardmacha wrote: »

Britian in particular has not shown any great foresight in infrastructural matters.

They invented the railway, world's first underground too, and there's the channel tunnel of course. Maybe they aren't Germany or Japan, but neither are we.

So apart from that, what have the romans ever done for us?

ok Furet I've said my piece.

corktina

D.L.R. wrote: »

They invented the railway, world's first underground too, and there's the channel tunnel of course. Maybe they aren't Germany or Japan, but neither are we.

So apart from that, what have the romans ever done for us?

ok Furet I've said my piece.

Time Team?

IrlJidel

Furet wrote: »

I can also confirm that www.midlink.ie will not be putting up a contact email address on their website. This strikes me as quaint and odd; but if you want to contact them, you'll just have to phone them.

Logged onto their site for the first time and they have a contact page. Only recently added?

http://www.midlink.ie/contact.html

M7/M8 Toll Plaza
Fatharnagh
Portlaoise , Co Laois
Phone: +353 (0) 57 8694900
E-Mail: info@midlink.ie

Amtmann

IrlJidel wrote: »

Logged onto their site for the first time and they have a contact page. Only recently added?

http://www.midlink.ie/contact.html

M7/M8 Toll Plaza
Fatharnagh
Portlaoise , Co Laois
Phone: +353 (0) 57 8694900
E-Mail: info@midlink.ie

Added only in the past hour. Fair play to the NRA for getting onto them about this so quickly.

MidlandsM

Is there anyway to get stats on what volume of traffic is now using the new M8/M7?? Will there be any of this info available now or in the future?

Amtmann

It should be possible (but I've yet to see an official stat for the Fermoy Bypass section).

MidlandsM

Who can I email in Fermoy to seek figures?

Chris_5339762

Furet wrote: »

Added only in the past hour. Fair play to the NRA for getting onto them about this so quickly.

Methinks certain people read this forum

sdanseo

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Methinks certain people read this forum

Clearly. No way that's a coincidence. Careful what we say folks :P :P

John C

MidlandsM wrote: »

Who can I email in Fermoy to seek figures?

http://www.directroute.ie/directroute/contact


DirectRoute (Fermoy) Limited
Richmond Hill, Richmond House, Fermoy, Co-Cork
Tel: 025 51 936
Fax: 025 51 952
E-Mail: info@directroute.ie



http://nra.ie/NetworkManagement/TrafficCounts/
Shows traffic counts. It is currently 23:35 BST, 02nd June offline.

Dubluc

StPatsFc wrote: »

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

I suggest going by Rathdowney via R433 at J3 M8 if you don't want to go by Borris in Ossory. (Route is J3 M8, Rathdowney, Errill, Clonmore, Templemore)

I travel to Templemore regularly and have found before upgrade that journey to Templemore is 1 hour 40 minutes from M50 via Roscrea obeying speed limits.

Last weekend going to Cork journey to J3 M8 was 55 minutes. I'm told Templemore to J3 via R433 is approx 20 to 25 minutes.

You are going way out of the way going to Two Mile Borris. Thurles 8 miles from Templemore and Two Mile Borris is another fifteen minutes. Not to mention anothe five or ten minutes on the M8

Hope this helps. Safe driving!

Our man in Havana

The R433 from Errill to Templemore is in an appalling state. You will destroy your suspension with all the potholes.

MidlandsM

Dubluc wrote: »

I suggest going by Rathdowney via R433 at J3 M8 if you don't want to go by Borris in Ossory. (Route is J3 M8, Rathdowney, Errill, Clonmore, Templemore)

I travel to Templemore regularly and have found before upgrade that journey to Templemore is 1 hour 40 minutes from M50 via Roscrea obeying speed limits.

Last weekend going to Cork journey to J3 M8 was 55 minutes. I'm told Templemore to J3 via R433 is approx 20 to 25 minutes.

You are going way out of the way going to Two Mile Borris. Thurles 8 miles from Templemore and Two Mile Borris is another fifteen minutes. Not to mention anothe five or ten minutes on the M8

Hope this helps. Safe driving!

*Caution required* - the road from Rathdowney, Errill, Clonmore, Templemore is in a terrible state - MASSIVE POTHOLES. If you don't know the road and where the holes are, you could damage a tyre,rim or suspension component, its that bad.

Our man in Havana

MidlandsM wrote: »

*Caution required* - the road from Rathdowney, Errill, Clonmore, Templemore is in a terrible state - MASSIVE POTHOLES. If you don't know the road and where the holes are, you could damage a tyre,rim or suspension component, its that bad.

It has gotten to the stage where I have stopped using the road and now go to Thurles via Johnstown and Urlingford and the M8.

Dubluc

MidlandsM wrote: »

*Caution required* - the road from Rathdowney, Errill, Clonmore, Templemore is in a terrible state - MASSIVE POTHOLES. If you don't know the road and where the holes are, you could damage a tyre,rim or suspension component, its that bad.

Acknowledged but if you take care and above all obey speed limits you will still get there safely.

The worst section is between Lisduff Quarry and Clonmore.

This road is to be improved in the next few weeks as locals near Templemore were recently told there will be roadworks.

Incidently this hasn't made any significant impact on the number of speeders.

Our man in Havana

You would be mad to speed on that road.