M7 - Nenagh to Limerick

theblackstuff

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

Old Crankypants from Matt The Thresher managed to get an offical road sign at Jn 27 :rolleyes:

he didnt get official signs, put them up himself, they will be down soon enough, the abbeycourt nenagh put up similar signs at exit 27, when that section first opened, they lasted a week or two and then were gone,

also noticed a "services" sign under one of the advance signs for the castletroy exit driving from nenagh..............

Mc Love

messi1985 wrote: »

be hitting down from dublin to limerick on fri.. was just wondering will i still get caught in traffic in adare.. hit adare around the 5 o clock mark and usually stuck there for a while.. hope with this road (of which is FINALLY OPEN) i cant beat the jam!!!!

I wouldnt have high hopes of that - Adare is a nightmare on Fridays

Wild Bill

murpho999 wrote: »

......much more important than plants and trees.
I don't know how anybody can call a motorway ugly or good looking.....it's a road!

I never suggest the landscaping was "more important" than the various things you mentioned. What I did was reply to your "who gives a **** about landscaping" by pointing out that many people do.

There is a aesthetic aspect to any human artifact to those capable seeing it; no two will agree on everything.

But to say "I don't know how anybody can call a motorway ugly or good looking.....it's a road!" is equivalent to saying "I don't know how anybody can call a woman ugly or good looking.....it's a woman!"

And while I won't comment of their women I repeat: Dutch motorways are ugly compared to the Irish ones.

And remember, beauty is in the mind's eye of the beholder. :cool:

mossym

theblackstuff wrote: »

he didnt get official signs, put them up himself, they will be down soon enough, the abbeycourt nenagh put up similar signs at exit 27, when that section first opened, they lasted a week or two and then were gone,

also noticed a "services" sign under one of the advance signs for the castletroy exit driving from nenagh..............

finnegas had one up on the motorway as well yesterday morning, didn't notice it this morning(probably due to the guy in his old polo driving along with his fog light on) but it could still be there

knipex

Left for Dublin at 7:30 am yesterday. The joy of not getting stuck behind trucks to Birdhill. I dont know how much time it saved me but it "felt like" it made a huge difference.

Coming back this evening felt the same.

Road felt smooth enough too (and I was driving a van)

limklad

messi1985 wrote: »

be hitting down from dublin to limerick on fri.. was just wondering will i still get caught in traffic in adare.. hit adare around the 5 o clock mark and usually stuck there for a while.. hope with this road (of which is FINALLY OPEN) i cant beat the jam!!!!

Traffic in Adare in the evenings/Holidays/Rush Hour, Most Definitely yes you will have problems.
You will have to wait and try the bypass in 20 years time when we can afford it after we pay for Anglo mess. That's been optimistic.

Zoney

limklad,

I think his point was that he may hit Adare earlier, so getting through before the main rush from local traffic from Limerick. Not an unreasonable hypothesis - often 5/10 mins difference in hitting a peak-time blackspot can in fact mean the difference between free-flowing or a queue.

Mc Love

anytime from 3.30 - 6.30 adare is nuts!

thayes

Well thanks to everyone for the posts and updates over the years. Can't wait for the final section to open. Was at a 20yr reunion at UL recently and everyone was impressed to see developments in the area. Just a pity we will be paying for it for far longer than expected!

I have been driving that and the cork road to Dublin and the UK over the 20 years and it is a joy to see the end in sight. The cork-dublin route is brill now, to the extent I will probably take the car in future (for the last 2 to 3 years we have been taking the car to cork as it was way faster and more comfortable). However, within the limits the car is way faster now, so I guess there is pressure mounting on CIE to upgrade the rail network to take advantage of their new stock now.

Being able to drive Dublin city centre to Clare in about 2.5 hrs in rush hour will be a blast when it happens.

Someone mentioned the importance of this thread as a historical document in the future, and it really will be if it is allowed to survive! I hope the government don't find some way to have their failings erased from history.

Safe driving.

Moving on to the nenagh castletown thread!

trap4

Furet wrote: »

For a rotten scheme, just look at Nenagh to Limerick.

Huh? I was recently telling a friend how I think that stretch of motorway is the nicest drive in the country now - I'm so busy looking at the wonderful views of the Silvermines that I couldn't tell you what the road looks like!

irelandjoe

trap4 wrote: »

Huh? I was recently telling a friend how I think that stretch of motorway is the nicest drive in the country now - I'm so busy looking at the wonderful views of the Silvermines that I couldn't tell you what the road looks like!

I for one couldn't care less what the road looks like. All I know is that it saves me 10-15 mins each way that is 20-30 mins more time I get to spend with my family. (and the views are nice too)

limklad

trap4 wrote: »

Huh? I was recently telling a friend how I think that stretch of motorway is the nicest drive in the country now - I'm so busy looking at the wonderful views of the Silvermines that I couldn't tell you what the road looks like!

I agree, The views are good but also distracting from driving. I already spotted some lane swearing on this stretch.

blackwarrior

Living in Limerick, last year I took a job in the midlands and I drive this road every day. Fully opening of the Nenagh-Limerick stretch is a big deal for me. This week I am celebrating because my commute has just got a lot less tiring and less stressful!!

A big thank you from me too to all the posters, photographers, trespassers, embankment climbers, cyclists, barrier hoppers and cone movers who brought this thread to life - it kept me sane.

Moving on...

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

trap4

What's the consensus at this stage - how much has the opening of this section and the tunnel relieved traffic flow in the city?

Amtmann

trap4 wrote: »

What's the consensus at this stage - how much has the opening of this section and the tunnel relieved traffic flow in the city?

I don't know about the city as a whole but the off-ramp sliproad at the Newport Roundabout is still backed up at peak times. Very unsatisfactory. It's an under-powered junction, just like the M7/N24 interchange is.

slinky2000

trap4 wrote: »

What's the consensus at this stage - how much has the opening of this section and the tunnel relieved traffic flow in the city?

So far for me it's been great. Been to Dublin From Plassy twice and done finnegans to the red cow in nearly 1hr 40min. I've seen no backed up traffic like usual.

Mc Love

trap4 wrote: »

What's the consensus at this stage - how much has the opening of this section and the tunnel relieved traffic flow in the city?

Numbers using the tunnel are down on what was projected because some folk are too tight to use it as far as I can see. But the people that do use it tend to live a more stress-free life now!

CerebralCortex

Mc Love wrote: »

Numbers using the tunnel are down on what was projected because some folk are too tight to use it as far as I can see. But the people that do use it tend to live a more stress-free life now!

Well I live near the Clonmacken round about between Clonmacken and Jetland, usually that road is backed up with cars trying to get into Limerick city or through it. No such back ups now. I am however disappointed by the pathetic numbers coming from the tunnel every morning on the way to Shannon. The majority of the traffic seems to come from the slip road/old N18.

luohaoran

Furet wrote: »

I don't know about the city as a whole but the off-ramp sliproad at the Newport Roundabout is still backed up at peak times. Very unsatisfactory. It's an under-powered junction, just like the M7/N24 interchange is.

Its a design feature.
The first part of traffic calming for Castletroy... make them take the ring road to the dock road exit.

I believe we saw this one coming. I can't imagine the designers didn't.
I'm sure they drew up plans for the required traffic lighting for this roundabout at the same time.
"You can't be having all that perfectly good car parking space being used up by moving traffic."

Wait a minute... are we talking about the same off ramp? Dublin to Limerick bound.

Amtmann

luohaoran wrote: »

Wait a minute... are we talking about the same off ramp? Dublin to Limerick bound.

The off-ramp, Dublin-bound, that takes you to Finnegans.

lukejr

Mc Love wrote: »

Numbers using the tunnel are down on what was projected because some folk are too tight to use it as far as I can see. But the people that do use it tend to live a more stress-free life now!

There is the problem of getting onto the ring road to use the tunnel. At peak times in the mornings, it takes 10-20 minutes to get from Monaleen to the ring road via the N24 junction.

I haven't noticed much of a difference in traffic in the city with the opening of this section of motorway, UL is busy as ever in the mornings, clogging up Castletroy.

Mc Love

If i lived in Monaleen, I would be heading towrds finnegans to get onto the ring road

lukejr

Mc Love wrote: »

If i lived in Monaleen, I would be heading towrds finnegans to get onto the ring road

Strangely enough that would sound like the quickest way, although three times the distance. What is it like getting on the Finnegans roadabout in the morning?

It would be great if they could build the Golf Link Rd to Groody Road link that was set out in the Castletroy development plan, due to be completed in 2011. Or widen the Golf Links Road where it narrows at three points onto the Old Ballysimon Road. But the main problem is the N24 junction, just a disaster. If they converted the hard shoulder to a slip-road lane going East and West it would get traffic moving a bit better, the 60km/h speed limit signs would need to be moved too.

Best thing is to leave for work before 8am.

runway16

First time using the new section yesterday - very pleased with it. The surface is nice, much better than Portlaoise to Castletown, and it is perhaps the most pleasant drive on the M7.

Driving around Limerick today, you can certainly see the improvements in the traffic situation brought about by the Tunnel and the M7. No queues getting into Limerick on the Condell road, no hassles at the Shannon Bridge roundabout, certainly less traffic generally in the city centre, and far less heavy vehicles.

All round, I'd say its been a success.

Plenty wont use the tunnel due to the toll, but so what if they want their drives to be longer - thats their perogative. At least the option is there to whizz around the city now. The two schemes easily cut 40 minutes off my drive from Dublin towards Shannon. I couldnt be more pleased....:D

Tech3

theblackstuff wrote: »

he didnt get official signs, put them up himself, they will be down soon enough, the abbeycourt nenagh put up similar signs at exit 27, when that section first opened, they lasted a week or two and then were gone,

also noticed a "services" sign under one of the advance signs for the castletroy exit driving from nenagh..............

There is an official sign for the restaurant on the brown ADS. There is also an unoffical sign further down the motorway for it.

Mc Love

lukejr wrote: »

Strangely enough that would sound like the quickest way, although three times the distance. What is it like getting on the Finnegans roadabout in the morning?

Best thing is to leave for work before 8am.

I can tell you its not as bad anymore, because all the dublin traffic can keep going straight on

Robo_Mike

Mc Love wrote: »

If i lived in Monaleen, I would be heading towrds finnegans to get onto the ring road

I live in Castletroy and where during the summer i used come in and out by Ballysimon going to work in Raheen, it is now much much faster to go by Finnegans! Last week myself and my housemate were travelling home at the same time, she went by Ballysimon, I came by Finnegans, at least 6 minutes faster! And so much easier, there have been times where i havent had to stop once between work and home, min of 2nd gear if the roundabouts go right for you!

L1011

tech2 wrote: »

There is an official sign for the restaurant on the brown ADS. There is also an unoffical sign further down the motorway for it.

Thats definitely not official. Its a seperate panel made from a different metal (look at it from behind) and a vaguely different colour! Complete chancer...

Amtmann

Time to shut this one down. Hopefully it won't have to be re-opened!