M7 - Nenagh to Limerick

-Corkie-

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Good news. The Nenagh Guardian article also says that 'Some €1.2 million is to be spent on the long stretch of narrow winding road at Congar on the N52 between Nenagh and Borrisokane - the scene of numerous accidents over the years.'

It's good to see such an important route upgraded but if it's been 'the scene of numerous accidents over the years' then why wasn't it upgraded years ago.

€1.2 million isn't a lot of money, and wasn't even 10 or 20 years ago.

Thats no harm thats a dangerous road with very little oppourtunity to overtake a slow moving vehicle. The borrisakane to athlone road should be a good road as it goes up the middle of the country. Tis a good livley road though youll make good time on it:)

mysterious

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Good news. The Nenagh Guardian article also says that 'Some €1.2 million is to be spent on the long stretch of narrow winding road at Congar on the N52 between Nenagh and Borrisokane - the scene of numerous accidents over the years.'

It's good to see such an important route upgraded but if it's been 'the scene of numerous accidents over the years' then why wasn't it upgraded years ago.

€1.2 million isn't a lot of money, and wasn't even 10 or 20 years ago.

They should be putting more money onto this road. Funding was assigned for this road 3 years ago, but it went mssing.;) Infact it has been an issue for the last 20 years. This road carries both the N65 and N62. I'd like to see Borriskane bypass as with Birr. Tullamore and Mulingar have been bypassed now. The road has improved somewhat so it makes sense to contiinue upgrading this road into a proper national route.

lukejr

Just back from driving the Nenagh bypass tonight, it was dark so couldn't see much. But after the railway bridge on the bypass all traffic is now directed onto the south carriageway (future hard shoulder and inside lane), both still not surfaced.

I can only assume they are finishing the north slip-road for going east to Dublin in the coming week.

gryff

Can anyone tell me if there is a seperate thread for the Nenagh to Castletown section of the M7 ?.

Rovi

gryff wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if there is a seperate thread for the Nenagh to Castletown section of the M7 ?.

Here you go:
M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

Berty

So they have finally laid the 200mtr section from the Newport roundabout(Finnegans) onto the Newport Road.

All it took was one e-mail from me to LCC and to the Liason officer and it was done!

Go keyboard warrior!!!

gryff

Rovi wrote: »

Here you go:
M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

Many thanks - small number of entries - anyone know about progress on this section ? will it open soon after the Nenagh-Limerick section ?

lots of activity on the bog... sorry bout crappy pic..

gryff

Berty wrote: »

So they have finally laid the 200mtr section from the Newport roundabout(Finnegans) onto the Newport Road.

All it took was one e-mail from me to LCC and to the Liason officer and it was done!

Go keyboard warrior!!!

It took them all day just to do half of it... no wonder this scheme is a year behind schedule !!

Tech3

gryff wrote: »

lots of activity on the bog... sorry bout crappy pic..

Nice photo I saw the ADS signage from the N7 alright, it looks funny going through a pile of mud. Next exit - bog.

small number of entries - anyone know about progress on this section ? will it open soon after the Nenagh-Limerick section ?

December this year is the official deadline.

Tech3

So it is 8 days (at last) to the opening of Birdhill to Nenagh.

Is anyone going to drive the stretch before then?

Photos and videos aplenty please while yer at it .

lukejr

Drove this road this morning, west of Nenagh bypass is very dangerous. The cones were scattered in places where both lanes join up on the southern slip-road.

Looked like someone drove though them by mistake, if you weren't used to driving this section you could easily end up head-on with oncoming traffic.

For safety the Nenagh bypass should not have opened until the N52 bridge tie-in, both slip-roads and railway bridge were finished.

Due to the current lay-out it is often difficult at night time to judge where the road goes, very little lighting, and the old road markings and cats-eyes don't help, if you follow them you'll end up driving into a concrete barrier.

Then again, that sums up this entire scheme really.

solidwork

It does not make sense to have that stretch at 120. I had a close shave at the finish of the nenagh by pass at the dublin side. It was very badly lit.

How much time do people think the new section being open will shave off our journey.

Berty

Overweight and unfit Berty is just back from a jog in the dark along the bog.

Hang on a minute???????? What bog? Where is it gone?

There is a layer of blacktop and an entire concrete barrier. There is a pile driver there putting the supports in for the signage. The landscapers have the fencing up and the back filling and top soil layed already.

They simply need a wearing course* and they are nearly there.


*I think they only need a wearing course. It was soo dark that I could not make out which layer was down at all.

lukejr

Berty wrote: »

There is a layer of blacktop and an entire concrete barrier. There is a pile driver there putting the supports in for the signage. The landscapers have the fencing up and the back filling and top soil layed already.[/SIZE]

That's great news, It's been a long time since some up-to-date photos were posted, and a lot of rumor it wasn't near ready. So it's great to know it's nearly done, thanks for taking the jog down and taking a look.

Berty

I will have a look Sunday if I think of it and take some pictures.

lukejr

This morning I walked the new M7 at the Drominboy Bog and Annaholty Bog sections, brought camera too. I have to say these section are progressing very nicely, and will be open by April at this rate without a doubt, not much left to do. Photos were manually geotagged too to give you an idea of where they were taken.

The Drominboy Bog section has about 300m of surfacing to be done, as you can see from the photos they need to fill with sub layers of gravel. The bottom section of the concrete median is in for drainage, you can see it needs about two foot of road chippings to bring it up to drain level.


http://s883.photobucket.com/albums/ac38/lukejr/Drominboy%20Bog/


The Annaholty Bog section is almost complete. A pile driver is putting in the posts for two motorway signs on either side, landscaping is well on its way margin soil is all rolled and ready for grass. The road surface of the east-bound lanes is ready and currently being lined, the west-bound lanes need a further surface of about 2 inches I think, although I could be wrong on this.


http://s883.photobucket.com/albums/ac38/lukejr/Annaholty%20Bog/

Chris_5339762

Wonder how long it'll be before the first closure due to sinking Seems this has gone from being terribly-bad-sinking to finished waaaaay too quickly.

lukejr

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Wonder how long it'll be before the first closure due to sinking Seems this has gone from being terribly-bad-sinking to finished waaaaay too quickly.

I had to go and walk the section as there were a lot of rumors floating around about the progress and very few photos that showed it. Apart from the few great photos posted by youlickmagee over Christmas, the last photos posted here on the bog section was from April 2009.

A lot of progress made since Christmas though, looks like all the major work is done.

Berty

lukejr wrote: »

I had to go and walk the section as there were a lot of rumors floating around about the progress and very few photos that showed it. Apart from the few great photos posted by youlickmagee over Christmas, the last photos posted here on the bog section was from April 2009.

Apart from mine on Christmas Eve even?

lukejr

Berty wrote: »

Apart from mine on Christmas Eve even?

Indeed Berty, and your update earlier in the week too encouraged me to walk it myself and have a look for myself.

-Corkie-

Fairplay for the pictures. I am going driving that road next friday i wonder will some of the new part be open for definite. Its impossible to make time on that other road.

sonyair

It has been reported in the sunday world today that the nenagh to birdhill section will open on the 18th(next thursday) and the the full motorway in april.

-Corkie-

Great thanks for that ill get a burn on it so:p

lukejr

In March I'll return with camera again and see how progress is going.

Excellent that the 18 Feb opening looks like it's going ahead for the Birdhill to Nenagh section.

That means that of the 200km journey from Limerick to M50, from next weekend "only" 73km will be non motorway/dual-carriageway, dropping to 60km by April once the Birdhill to Limerick section is complete.

mysterious

lukejr wrote: »

In March I'll return with camera again and see how progress is going.

Excellent that the 18 Feb opening looks like it's going ahead for the Birdhill to Nenagh section.

That means that of the 200km journey from Limerick to M50, from next weekend "only" 73km will be non motorway/dual-carriageway, dropping to 60km by April once the Birdhill to Limerick section is complete.

It's good news, but I'd hope fingers crossed, they think about finishing the Castletown Moneygall section by summer, so this means the worst stretch of N7 is bypassed.

The potholes on this stretch Through Tipperary is a national disgrace. The Nenagh to Toomevara was meant to be resurfaced totally a few years ago. The Famous straight Mile stretch just before Toome is in very bad condition.

Anyway going of the topic, It will be a great sigh of relief for this section to open in Aprill anyhoo.

roosterman71

mysterious wrote: »

It's good news, but I'd hope fingers crossed, they think about finishing the Castletown Moneygall section by summer, so this means the worst stretch of N7 is bypassed.

The potholes on this stretch Through Tipperary is a national disgrace. The Nenagh to Toomevara was meant to be resurfaced totally a few years ago. The Famous straight Mile stretch just before Toome is in very bad condition.

Anyway going of the topic, It will be a great sigh of relief for this section to open in Aprill anyhoo.

There is no way that the Castletown-Nenagh section will open before the Portlaoise-Castletown section. I've walked on parts of both schemes and the Portlaoise-Castletown piece is much further down the completion track

AlanD

roosterman71 wrote: »

There is no way that the Castletown-Nenagh section will open before the Portlaoise-Castletown section. I've walked on parts of both schemes and the Portlaoise-Castletown piece is much further down the completion track

... which is a bit crazy, because although Portlaoise-Castletown will bypass Mountrath which is a good thing. Noone in their right mind, going from Limerick to Dublin would jump on the M7 at Borris-in-Ossory to pay a toll for the sake of 16 miles to the M7 at Portlaoise. Would they?

Stark

Well it's a longer stretch than the Fermoy bypass was and has the advantage that you're not back on single track after the toll section ends. If you've been stuck behind a slow mover since Nenagh, you'll be glad to pay the toll I reckon.

Deedsie

When will it be announced officially if the Nenagh to Birdhill section is going to open on Thursday the 18th of February?

lukejr

Not sure if it will, I just got an email from the NRA that the Nenagh to Birdhill section will not open until March, due to outstanding works.

Although they also said this about the Nenagh bypass a week before it opened, so I'm not sure if the NRA know.

Anyone hear that it will open this week, for sure? I know some local newspapers said it will. Hopefully it will.