TII Motorway Service Areas (MSA) Progress Thread

KOR101

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

YET STILL NOTHING FOR THE BLOOMING M8!!!

I keep saying it on this thread, but my god what do they have against an official service area at Fermoy and maybe another one in and around Naas (Ok M7 but still the Cork - Dublin corridor).

M8, Exit 3, Manor Stone Service Station

It even has 4 Tesla charging stations!

marno21

In fairness, the M8 isn't half bad these days. There's a Texaco and shop close to J18, Amber big area with restaurants at J14, Topaz/McDonalds at J8 and Manor Stone at J3.

OldMrBrennan83

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road_high

On the M8 south of Portlaoise you already have Ballacolla, Cashel and one offline at Fermoy- is there business for yet another? You can do the journey in just over an hour. Then you have midway at Portlaoise plus J14 Monasterevin...and another planned at Portlaoise south.

Chris_5339762

Ballacolla: Too small, utterly rammed to capacity on a normal Sunday.
Cashel: I haven't been in since the carpark works but known for being too small.
Fermoy: A mile from the motorway, too far off the junction.

I use the M8 as an example really but I still feel the Dublin - Cork corridor is poorly served. There are a smattering of offline ones, but I can't comprehend why they are planning M6 and M11 ones where there are lots of offline options yet they have no plans of any description for official ones on the M8.

CeilingFly

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

YET STILL NOTHING FOR THE BLOOMING M8!!!

I keep saying it on this thread, but my god what do they have against an official service area at Fermoy and maybe another one in and around Naas (Ok M7 but still the Cork - Dublin corridor).

Large rest area + hotel planned for Goffs.

Applegreen plan big area for old cemex site at naas north - withdrew planning but probably new planning coming soon

Junction 10 M7 is being moved about 800m south - will make Toughers a short skip off.

JupiterKid

The M8 could do with an on-line services area between Culahill and Cashel. If that was in place there would really be no need for any more services along the route.

The TII have published the plans for the M6 MSA near Rathmorrisey junction.

I love how this is "controversial" simply because it might impact Pat McDonaghs profit margin on chip sales.

Sorry, can't find the link to the actual plabs. Maybe someone else might have better luck

http://connachttribune.ie/tii-publishes-masterplan-for-controversial-planned-m6-service-station/

TII publishes masterplan for controversial planned M6 service station
By Our Reporter - July 31, 2017

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The masterplan for a controversial service station on the M6 near Oranmore has been published online.
The project is being led by Transport Infrastructure Ireland under its national motorway service area plan.
Following a site selection study, a preferred site for the development was identified around 5.5km north east of Oranmore, in the townload of Lisheenkyle West.
Concerns have been raised that the proposed service station would be in competition with the Galway Plaza development at the Loughrea junction on the M6.
The developments would be under ten minutes apart for motorists travelling on the route.
A pre-planning public consultation meeting was held in Oranmore last month, where the masterplan and site maps were on display.
These documents have now been published online.
It’s expected an oral hearing on the proposed M6 service station will take place before the end of the year.

sandyxxx

....any update on the opening of m11 Gorey,has the fitout even begun yet?....,passed it recently but nothing's visible from the road

jd

sandyxxx wrote: »

....any update on the opening of m11 Gorey,has the fitout even begun yet?....,passed it recently but nothing's visible from the road

Mentioned in The Irish Times today

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/gorey-vacant-service-station-site-cost-state-agency-1-5m-1.3182946

Mr Lynch explained that talks had since restarted with the preferred bidder. Once the contract is awarded, the agency estimates that outstanding work at the site will take four months to complete.
“Under the terms of the contract for the operation of the facility, TII will receive a revenue share from sales generated,” he said. “Currently, it is anticipated the service area will open for business in early 2018.”

TBH, it won't really be needed until the Enniscorthy by pass opens.

Ernest

For a recent example of how it should be done, see the new Applegreen service areas on Both sides of the Northern Ireland M1 motorway near Sprucefield (Lisburn).

These service areas are similar to, though on a slightly smaller scale than, Applegreen's service areas on the Irish M1 motorway near Lusk and Castlebellingham. All of these (North and South) are on-line meaning motorists do not have to leave the motorway or cross any bridges or any such mickey-mouse stuff like is required to access for the "Barack Obama Plaza" and the one in Cashel etc.

I do not know if there are any other motorway service areas in Northern Ireland - I have never seen any - but this new one is a credit to good design and on a relatively small footprint too.

Chris_5339762

M2 northbound outside of Belfast has one too. One is planned there southbound too.

These are nice little areas and clean, not too busy whenever I've been there.

Bear in mind NI was even later to the Service Areas party than we were, and we were disgracefully late.

OldMrBrennan83

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oppenheimer1

Ernest wrote: »

For a recent example of how it should be done, see the new Applegreen service areas on Both sides of the Northern Ireland M1 motorway near Sprucefield (Lisburn).

These service areas are similar to, though on a slightly smaller scale than, Applegreen's service areas on the Irish M1 motorway near Lusk and Castlebellingham. All of these (North and South) are on-line meaning motorists do not have to leave the motorway or cross any bridges or any such mickey-mouse stuff like is required to access for the "Barack Obama Plaza" and the one in Cashel etc.

I do not know if there are any other motorway service areas in Northern Ireland - I have never seen any - but this new one is a credit to good design and on a relatively small footprint too.

I personally don't see the problem with co-locating service stations with existing junctions. It's the most efficient use of resources.

It doesn't take any longer to park up at Cashel then it does at Enfield on-line.

spacetweek

Ernest wrote: »

For a recent example of how it should be done, see the new Applegreen service areas on Both sides of the Northern Ireland M1 motorway near Sprucefield (Lisburn).

It has been done like that at Lusk, Castlebellingham and Enfield. The Barack Obama plaza etc. aren't real motorway service areas.

OldMrBrennan83

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discodaveirl

Just on the point of Barrack Obama Plaza style set up rather than m6 enfield style. Much prefer the BOP style having both east and west traffic meeting off the junction. All staff are in one location and service is immediate and food is fresh and ready to serve, no queues etc. On the M6 the staff are shared between two locations and therefore theres always some bit of a queue for food, payment etc etc... Much more enviromentally friendly also

BelfastVanMan

discodaveirl wrote: »

Just on the point of Barrack Obama Plaza style set up rather than m6 enfield style. Much prefer the BOP style having both east and west traffic meeting off the junction. All staff are in one location and service is immediate and food is fresh and ready to serve, no queues etc. On the M6 the staff are shared between two locations and therefore theres always some bit of a queue for food, payment etc etc... Much more enviromentally friendly also

Enfield is on the M4 ;-)

discodaveirl

discodaveirl wrote: »

Just on the point of Barrack Obama Plaza style set up rather than m6 enfield style. Much prefer the BOP style having both east and west traffic meeting off the junction. All staff are in one location and service is immediate and food is fresh and ready to serve, no queues etc. On the M6 the staff are shared between two locations and therefore theres always some bit of a queue for food, payment etc etc... Much more enviromentally friendly also

The mind boggles at your logic

OldMrBrennan83

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cml387

ground seems to have been broken for the M8 services at Fermoy.

Aontachtoir

Wonderful.

oppenheimer1

Patww79 wrote: »

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It can happen because both sides of the road will always need to be manned. One side can be really busy and no customers could be in the other. So on the quiet side you'll have the staff there twiddling their thumbs while on the other they will be run of their feet.

Happens at Enfield on Friday evenings. Westbound is chaotic, with queues for pumps, and food while east bound there is no one there.

blindsider

Isn't that just simple staff management then?

MSA's should be on both sides, and need to be just off the Motorway - driving around 6 roundabouts to pop in/out somewhere for 5 mins is plain stupid.

jd

blindsider wrote: »

Isn't that just simple staff management then?

MSA's should be on both sides, and need to be just off the Motorway - driving around 6 roundabouts to pop in/out somewhere for 5 mins is plain stupid.

I agree, and I don't thinking mixing HGVs and motorway traffic on to roundabouts with local traffic is a great idea on a lot of those junctions. It works ok on Coyne's Cross at the moment, but still.

flazio

So far most of these off line services are at junctions where's there's feck all local traffic anyway. Monasterevin for example just has a boreen beyond it, anyone for Birdhill tends to get off at Nenagh and take the old road.
Remember, we do live in a country where money talks, and if a two sided service area is unlikely to bring in the dosh then it won't get built. If it's state funded then we all suffer in our tax bills but if it's private business then that's the tough luck of Pat McDonagh or whoever built it.

flazio

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

Enfield is on the M4 ;-)

Technically yes but it kinda depends on your direction, if you are West bound then, yes you have to peel off to the left to keep heading to Galway, however East bound, the M4 has to merge onto the M6, yielding to M6 traffic. So while the signage may change to M4, the route is coming from Galway.

OldMrBrennan83

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oppenheimer1

blindsider wrote: »

Isn't that just simple staff management then?

MSA's should be on both sides, and need to be just off the Motorway - driving around 6 roundabouts to pop in/out somewhere for 5 mins is plain stupid.

It's two roundabouts, which is just one more.
Unless traffic volumes in each direction are relatively similar and not tidal/unbalanced then having one sided MSA linked by a bridge is a far better use of resources.

Take for example electric car chargers. There is one each side on M4 Enfield. When west is busy there could be queues for that particular charger, yet 200-300m away there could be an idle charger on the other side of the M-way. If it was a single sided MSA, there would be twice the amount of resources available as they would be shared with both sides.

Last Friday, Enfield west was total chaos, with waits for the pumps, while I'm sure there was sfa using east. If it was a single sided MSA built at an existing junction, we could have had, for the same cost an MSA twice the size serving both sides. There would then, never be any queues.

Aontachtoir

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

blindsider wrote: »

Isn't that just simple staff management then?

MSA's should be on both sides, and need to be just off the Motorway - driving around 6 roundabouts to pop in/out somewhere for 5 mins is plain stupid.

It's two roundabouts, which is just one more.
Unless traffic volumes in each direction are relatively similar and not tidal/unbalanced then having one sided MSA linked by a bridge is a far better use of resources.

Take for example electric car chargers. There is one each side on M4 Enfield. When west is busy there could be queues for that particular charger, yet 200-300m away there could be an idle charger on the other side of the M-way. If it was a single sided MSA, there would be twice the amount of resources available as they would be shared with both sides.

Last Friday, Enfield west was total chaos, with waits for the pumps, while I'm sure there was sfa using east. If it was a single sided MSA built at an existing junction, we could have had, for the same cost an MSA twice the size serving both sides. There would then, never be any queues.

If it really was that much of a no-brainer, I'm sure they would have done that. There must be other issues involved that we're not aware of - eg planning issues, cost-effectiveness analysis, etc.