M7 - Nenagh to Limerick

d1980

According to the Limk post, Minister Dempsey is coming down to open up the road, about 1pm. Road to open 2 hours later. no mention of Biffo making the trip.

Empire o de Sun

So the M7 will be the last major Motorway to be finished even though it was the first to be started with the first section opened in 1983 :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

macjohn

Brill News that it is to open on Tuesday. Excellent.
Cant believe not more upbeat about it here, following the thread/opinions in early summer was afraid it might never open/have to be re-routed

Dubluc

irelandjoe wrote: »

And the dublin exit is more then 180 degrees so you saying its ok to be in the right lane? OK i don't feel so bad about it now.

The correct interpretation of the Rules of the Roads for Roundabouts is on P107-109 of Rules of the Road or for the online version here http://www.rotr.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

Hope this is of help to you all.

As for the bit about it not all being motorway the fact that the first bit is HQDC means that except for one or two minor enough details it is effectively motorway standard. I travel the relevant section regularly and except for the colour of the signs and the lower speed limit wouldn't be really able to tell the difference.

emfifty

lukejr wrote: »

Irish Times has an article too on it today:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0921/1224279367703.html

The opening 'paves the way' for the final section of the M7, between Castletown and Nenagh, which is now expected in November.:)

Pardon the pun!

emfifty

Now that I'm on this post, does anyone know the exact specifications as to how they engineered this bog section. Deck, bridge, reinforcements etc.

Anyone with the technical know how?:)

marmurr1916

emfifty wrote: »

Now that I'm on this post, does anyone know the exact specifications as to how they engineered this bog section. Deck, bridge, reinforcements etc.

Anyone with the technical know how?:)

Guess what happened to all the billions missing from the banks?

M three

class, makes trips to thomond park from dublin alot handier
fair play to the construction company, total bitch of a job

luohaoran

Dubluc wrote: »

The correct interpretation of the Rules of the Roads for Roundabouts is on P107-109 of Rules of the Road or for the online version here http://www.rotr.ie/rules-for-driving/junctions-roundabouts/roundabouts.html

Hope this is of help to you all.

As for the bit about it not all being motorway the fact that the first bit is HQDC means that except for one or two minor enough details it is effectively motorway standard. I travel the relevant section regularly and except for the colour of the signs and the lower speed limit wouldn't be really able to tell the difference.

There are rules, and then there are rules.
For example, you are legally bound to go clockwise around a roundabout.
You are also compelled to abide be the road markings and other signage.
Not doing either of those is dangerous driving and could get you in trouble if caught by police.

However...
...using the right hand lane to go through the Newport roundabout (taking the second turn off for Dublin) does not break any law, and will not land you in any trouble with the Garda.

The rule in this instance is guidance, not law. And in my opinion it is the more conscientious thing to do.
Provided of course its done following the 'safe driving' rules. That is, you can't barge in, if a space does not open up by one of the many Castletroy bound vehicles leaving a space, then just continue all the way round the roundabout. Such a high proportion of the traffic (20-30%IMO) does turn left for Castletroy that not making sensible use of the right hand lane is actually what causes the backup at this junction.

So , to those right hand laners , I say bravo, and thanks, but please don't barge in, thats dangerous and therefore illegal. And to those of us staying in the left lane, be patient, recognize this queue reduction measure for what it is, and don't block, as that is dangerous driving, and thus illegal.

And hopefully by next Tuesday, this will all be moot.

L1011

Completed my, emergencies nonwithstanding, last ever trip through Birdhill and Daly's Cross tonight. They won't be missed!

Berty

Update on the traffic situation around the Newport Roundabout. Its freakin MAYHEM OUT THERE.

I left the Regional Hospital this evening and purposefully drove the original Dublin road all the way along the Childers road to get out to the Dublin road.

I used the South Link road twice today during the changeover of lanes and it was truly insane.

They were trying to move cones and people suddenly moved into the right lane even though that section was closed. They came around the corner to a line painting truck and were all trapped. They guy in front got out of his car and moved all the cones and forced his way into the correct lane dragging the other 50+ cars with him and a few artics for good measure. My p*ss was boiling at this stage many many cars back in the ACTUAL LANE.

Then later I went along the South Link and got stuck from the Tipperary flyover all the way to the Newport roundabout in bumper to bumper traffic.

This is ALL because they decided to wait until NOW to put the crash barrier on the exit ramp!!!

Bring on Tuesday!!!

Berty

MYOB wrote: »

Completed my, emergencies nonwithstanding, last ever trip through Birdhill and Daly's Cross tonight. They won't be missed!

What about that Misoginist pig who runs Matt the Tresher???

You're not going to miss him?

L1011

Berty wrote: »

What about that Misoginist pig who runs Matt the Tresher???

You're not going to miss him?

One dodgy meal there and I decided to keep on driving to Dunkerrin from then on...

-Corkie-

Berty wrote: »

What about that Misoginist pig who runs Matt the Tresher???

You're not going to miss him?

A pig is a understatment. The food in Dunkeerin wasnt much better. Jesus I was dumbfounded by your man in Birdhill....:eek:

solidwork

Going that direction tomorrow evening, with all the reports of the traffic at finnegans i might head towards mallow and hit the M8 all the way up to naas. I'll be leaving from kilarney so it wont be too bad.

backhome2005

The M7 leading up to Finnegans was a complete nightmare tonight. At 7:05 pm it took 40 minutes to get to the roundabout - what a joke! Don't tell me it's going to be like that till Tuesday! So typical - avoid at all costs!!

dergside

Travelled this route this evening at about 20:30, from the SRR towards Birdhill with very little delay at Finnegans roundabout. A dozen or two cars ahead of me but moving continually. Glad I wasn't going at my usual time of 19:00-ish by the sound of the past few posts!

Trhiggy83

Anyone know how long the estimated new journey time is gonna be between dublin and limerick when the whole section is upgraded. I do it in about 2 hours on a good day at the minute.

Limerick Dude

Usually takes me around 2 hours from the Red Cow Roundabout to Finnegans roundabout if traffic is fine and I don't get stuck behind too many trucks on the non Motorway sections.

It will be very interesting to see how long it will take once the final two remaining sections are open!

Tragedy

I've been doing it in 1hr45mins on a good day lately, and I never go more than 10% over speed limit(and never go over speed limit on motorway).

Berty

dergside wrote: »

Travelled this route this evening at about 20:30, from the SRR towards Birdhill with very little delay at Finnegans roundabout. A dozen or two cars ahead of me but moving continually. Glad I wasn't going at my usual time of 19:00-ish by the sound of the past few posts!

I was on the SRR at the exact same time and there were no delays. Last night though was a different kettle of fish. It was bedlam.

123easy

It will be amusing to read the NRAs euphemistic press release for this *****dup project - opening on budget and ahead of the revised schedule respresenting another meteoric step forward

blackwarrior

The rule of thumb I use is divide the kilometre distance by 2 and that's your driving time in minutes.

It's about 180 kilometres from Newland to Junction 28 (Finnegans). When all the new bits are open, that's roughly a 1h 35m journey, allowing for the 100kph limit to Naas.

Unreal, isn't it?

Mc Love

Tragedy wrote: »

I've been doing it in 1hr45mins on a good day lately, and I never go more than 10% over speed limit(and never go over speed limit on motorway).

Thats more like it :P

-Corkie-

Thats fair clipping an hour and a half... Wait till the Castletown section opens it should shave another 15 mins off that...

Wild Bill

180 kilometres? Should be possible in one hour 15 minutes tops.

(After all it's less than half an hour Newlands to Portlaoise).

Slow down passing the usual on-ramps and keep an eye out for the easy-to-spot "unmarked" cars.

And never hesitate to underpass fast lane hoggers!

Tragedy

Why would you go over 120 unless you're in a rush? Even diesel cars start to seriously suffer from poor consumption once you hit 140.

nordydan

Tragedy wrote: »

Why would you go over 120 unless you're in a rush? Even diesel cars start to seriously suffer from poor consumption once you hit 140.

When you hear on the news about a bus full of schoolchildren:

• killed outside Roscrea
• by a lunatic undertaking at 150 km/h
• stopwtach in hand
• posting his fastest time to m.boards.ie

think of Wild Bill

dergside

Berty wrote: »

I was on the SRR at the exact same time and there were no delays. Last night though was a different kettle of fish. It was bedlam.

Yeah, chose to avoid it last night and take the backroad through Corbally just in case!

lukejr

Can we get back on topic here about the M7 Nenagh to Limerick motorway.

Thanks.