Kilkenny - Waterford via new motorway.

kleefarr

Just wondering, as I have to make a quick trip to Waterford on Saturday, is it worth using the new motorway when going from Kilkenny City to Waterford City?
Where do you get on and where do you get off?
Any time saving?

TIA

Captain Havoc

You get on at Danesfort. I would say it'd be worth it as the motorway is a straight 120kph and will take you about 30mins, where as the old Waterford rd. is an 80kph windy country lane and will take you 15 - 30 mins longer. As far as I remember you get of just before the new bridge (the cat flap) on the way in.

kleefarr

Yep, sounds like it would be worth it. How far would the IDA park be from the Cat Flap?
Shame it's not on multimap yet.

EKRIUQ

Think its the second left after the bridge, not far.

kleefarr

Thanks, I'll try that out then.
There's probably a sign for town centre or something at that junction is there?

draward

If you want to wait the motorway is opening at 11am today. so go from kk

kleefarr

Oh good call!
That's the junction from the Hebron Road roundabout isn't it, towards Clara?

Wisco

Yep, that's the one- hopefully some of the congestion at the Waterford Rd roundabout will lessen a bit now.

kleefarr

Might take a run down there later, so I know my way.
There's a toll on that section isn't there? Before or after the bridge?

Wisco

Yes, the toll is as you head onto the bridge (signposted roundabouts make it clear there's a toll ahead). Think it's something like €1.90, if I remember correctly.

kleefarr

Heading Gratton Quay direction so may be able to get off before I reach the toll.

Edit: Looks like it may be better to get on at the Danesfort junction..

http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KilkennyCountyCouncil/N9N10CarlowKnocktopherKilcullenWaterford/Map,16507,en.pdf

Cabaal

I've done the Kilkenny City run via Danesfort to Waterford twice this week, took me about 45min from Cork Road Waterford to Hebron in Kilkenny.

Not bad tbh
(and no I didn't take the toll bridge as there's no need)

kleefarr

What junction did you come off Cabaal? 11?

PhilipMarlowe

Went to WIT on the Cork Roak in Waterford this week also via Danesfort. Didn't bother with the toll bridge either, just headed over the 'old' way and up the quay as usual. Will try out going via the new link road from Hebron versus Danesfort sometime as I might be taking that route regularly in the near future... some sort of equation involving time, distance and convenience.

On a related note, was on the new section this evening. 25 minutes from the Castledermot junction to the Castlecomer road roundabout on the ring road... happy days.

Captain Havoc

Licksy wrote: »

25 minutes from the Castledermot junction to the Castlecomer road roundabout on the ring road... happy days.

:eek:

Deliverance XXV

I went from Citywest/Saggart in Dublin to Waterford City (Quays) in an hour and thirty minutes today (N7-M7-M9). The traffic was quiet-ish and the weather conditions were good.
I came back to KK the Hebron Exit way and even though there's a nice little stretch of road between the motorway and the Hebron Roundabout it's a comfortable drive.

road_high

Drove it there betweeen Hebron Road and Paulstown. It took about 5 mins or more, I didn't time it and I was doing about 130kmh at places on the M9 part.

What a truly brilliant piece of infrastructure and a real boost to Kilkenny from an economic viewpoint. This will act as a major stimilus in bringing more business and tourists to Kilkenny. I just want to congratulate all on a job well done over the past 9/10 years in bringing this superb project onstream.

Captain Havoc

mfitzy wrote: »

What a truly brilliant piece of infrastructure and a real boost to Kilkenny from an economic viewpoint. This will act as a major stimilus in bringing more business and tourists to Kilkenny. I just want to congratulate all on a job well done over the past 9/10 years in bringing this superb project onstream.

+1
Every hotel and business can advertise they're just over an hour from Dublin. I also see it from a different perspective, having the Dublin and Waterford roads mostly traffic free is a godsend for cyclists, two decent streches of road that I won't be taking my life into my hands on (although I was never in fear on the Dublin road really). Hope we can convince more to take it up

Cabaal

Captain Havoc wrote: »

having the Dublin and Waterford roads mostly traffic free is a godsend for cyclists, two decent streches of road that I won't be taking my life into my hands on (although I was never in fear on the Dublin road really). Hope we can convince more to take it up

Having cycled to and from Waterford to Kilkenny on the old Waterford road I have to agree, cycled to work few weeks back and could almost count the amount of cars that passed me on my fingers there was so few

It was lovely and peaceful

Plug

The dublin road is now very quite. Fresco, fox and the goose, lyrath, maxe etc will all be affected but on the bright side we are only a little over an hour from Dublin so lets hope that helps the local economy.

kleefarr

Plug wrote: »

The dublin road is now very quite. Fresco, fox and the goose, lyrath, maxe etc will all be affected but on the bright side we are only a little over an hour from Dublin so lets hope that helps the local economy.

Yes, I noticed that as well.

kleefarr

Licksy wrote: »

Went to WIT on the Cork Roak in Waterford this week also via Danesfort. Didn't bother with the toll bridge either, just headed over the 'old' way and up the quay as usual. Will try out going via the new link road from Hebron versus Danesfort sometime as I might be taking that route regularly in the near future... some sort of equation involving time, distance and convenience.

On a related note, was on the new section this evening. 25 minutes from the Castledermot junction to the Castlecomer road roundabout on the ring road... happy days.

That's the way I want to go. So come off at the first roundabout then? What is it, the 445?

road_high

Looking forward to driving to Dublin on it. Reckon it will be comfortable enough to do it in just under an hour especially to the M50 at 120 km/h.

As for the businesses that's what happens when a road is bypassed. Fox and Goose especially as it is very reliant on passing trade unlike the other ones where there's still a lot of local business.

ft9

I done the ring road in Kilkenny to the Red Cow roundabout last night in 1 hour flat. Brilliant job!

Plug

I left from Dublin airport sunday morning about half 2. It took me one hour and twenty minutes. That was very little traffic and ok weather conditions but I had to get off the motorway at carlow because it wasen't open. Should be interesting to see the time of the full run on the motorway.

kkmick

15 minutes from the hebron rd roundabout to the roundabout outside carlow (sticking to the speed limit) happy days :-) is there a second exit for carlow tho?

PhilipMarlowe

There are 3 exits 'for' Carlow.
The one near Leighlinbridge (J6)...
The one near Castledermot (J4) for Carlow North and one in the middle (J5) for the N80 which is kind of the Athlone -> Carlow -> Wexford road.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M9_motorway_(Ireland)

rayc

Licksy wrote: »

Went to WIT on the Cork Roak in Waterford this week also via Danesfort. Didn't bother with the toll bridge either, just headed over the 'old' way and up the quay as usual. Will try out going via the new link road from Hebron versus Danesfort sometime as I might be taking that route regularly in the near future... some sort of equation involving time, distance and convenience.

On a related note, was on the new section this evening. 25 minutes from the Castledermot junction to the Castlecomer road roundabout on the ring road... happy days.

I went this way to Waterford last weekend and while I didn't time it exactly, I think it actually takes a little longer than via Danesfort. The deciding factor for me though would be the level of traffic on the ring-road, specifically the Dublin road roundabout. And if Monday was anything to go by it seems to be a lot quieter with the motorway open.

fabbydabby

Truth and the Hebron one is far busier.

It's only a matter of time before a traveller or their horse / dog / kid is hit by a vehicle there, they're crossing that roundabout constantly to the fields on the other side where their horses are kept.

PhilipMarlowe

I think I must have used the new motorway every damn day since it opened!
That said, I exited at Danesfort on the way back from WD one day and let's just say I appreciated how smooth the new road is because the 'old' one felt like it was shaking me to bits.... spoiled maybe.
There is a certain novelty to the new road at the back of Lyrath and it's fun going from Dunbell over the new bridge near Bennettsbridge in what is only a matter of seconds.

road_high

Kilkenny-Blessington in 55mins the other day in the middle of the day. Kilcullen in 35 mins and 20 mins cross country. Unheard of a few years ago