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M7 Motorway (general thread)

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    #62
    dubhthach
    Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    Furet wrote: »
    Does anyone have any information on or knowledge about the one section of M7 that will never be built, namely the idea to run a new section of M7 from Naas to the M50 on a totally new alignment? I know it will never happen, but in terms of the plan, how far did it get and when was it dropped in favour of widening the existing Naas road?

    I had a quick look at the South Dublin development plans the other day but couldn't find any road reservation for this. Of course the plan from the late 90's didn't seem to have a map. I would assume there would have to be a zoning map that would show the alignment knocking around. After all the Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown zoning map shows the road reservation for the Eastern bypass.


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    #63
    Jayuu
    Registered Users Posts: 742 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    Furet wrote: »
    Does anyone have any information on or knowledge about the one section of M7 that will never be built, namely the idea to run a new section of M7 from Naas to the M50 on a totally new alignment? I know it will never happen, but in terms of the plan, how far did it get and when was it dropped in favour of widening the existing Naas road?

    I have vague memories of this being dropped because of the need to improve access to the Ryder Cup in Straffan in September 2006 but I couldn't give you a link to a site that would prove this.

    My memory is that at some point in the run up to this event it was realised that because work hadn't even started on the road there was no way it would be completed in time so widening the Naas Road to three lanes became the priority. Once that had been done it was decided that there wasn't a need to construct an alternative Naas to Dublin motorway route as well.

    It is a huge pity that we lost this opportunity to have an M7 right into the M50 at Junction 8. If this had been done we probably wouldn't have needed such radical changes at the Red Cow or the freeflow at Newlands Cross.


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    #64
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    tinkerbell wrote: »
    My dad drove up the new M7 part (the tolled part) during the week and was disgusted with how poor the road surface was as well. It's shocking actually how bad it is considering it's a brand new road. I drove it on the Saturday after it opened and thought it was so bumpy then as well.

    I was down in Cork a few weeks ago - it was terribly bumpy, worse than the M50 which was a live online upgrade. considering it's being tolled, and there's a precedent in the western part of the M6, I'd like a surface as smooth as a baby's bum.


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    #65
    Chris_5339762
    Registered Users Posts: 5,858 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    The western part of the M6 (Galway - Ballinasloe) is in a league of its own. Beats any other motorway I've ever been on.

    After driving it a few times the worst bit of the M7/8 scheme is from the Mountrath junction to the toll. Its awful.


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    #66
    Berty
    Registered Users Posts: 26,149 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    The only challenge is that the M7 is not complete and will likely never be complete. It ends at Naas so does not connect Dublin, Cork, Killkenny, Carlow or Limerick(amongst others) to Dublin at all by Motorway.

    Still good news this section is to finally open.


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    #67
    blackwarrior
    Registered Users Posts: 83 ✭✭blackwarrior


    Berty wrote: »
    The only challenge is that the M7 is not complete and will likely never be complete. It ends at Naas so does not connect Dublin, Cork, Killkenny, Carlow or Limerick(amongst others) to Dublin at all by Motorway.

    With respect, comments like this are bordering on the pedantic.
    Sections may not be motorway with blue signs, but they are high quality dual carriageway and complaining about them not being motorway is small minded.

    The main roads in this country have improved out of all recognition. What do people want, for goodness sake!!??


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    #68
    runway16
    Registered Users Posts: 304 ✭✭runway16


    blackwarrior wrote: »
    With respect, comments like this are bordering on the pedantic.
    Sections may not be motorway with blue signs, but they are high quality dual carriageway and complaining about them not being motorway is small minded.

    The main roads in this country have improved out of all recognition. What do people want, for goodness sake!!??

    Exactly. Its not like the N7 is a narrow, winding boreen. Its wider than the M7 for god sake....


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    #69
    Irish and Proud
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭Irish and Proud


    Berty wrote: »
    The only challenge is that the M7 is not complete and will likely never be complete. It ends at Naas so does not connect Dublin, Cork, Killkenny, Carlow or Limerick(amongst others) to Dublin at all by Motorway.

    Still good news this section is to finally open.

    Once Newlands Cross is grade separated, it's complete as far as I'm concerned - OK, no blue signs from Dublin to Naas, but for the most part, one can quite happily cruise along the 6 lane highway without the need for stopping.

    That's good enough for now!


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    #70
    Dubluc
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭Dubluc


    Irish and Proud wrote: »
    Once Newlands Cross is grade separated, it's complete as far as I'm concerned - OK, no blue signs from Dublin to Naas, but for the most part, one can quite happily cruise along the 6 lane highway without the need for stopping.

    That's good enough for now!

    I would tend to agree!
    Roll on Tuesday and then next Castletown to Nenagh being complete!


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    #71
    etchyed
    Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    Irish and Proud wrote: »
    Once Newlands Cross is grade separated, it's complete as far as I'm concerned - OK, no blue signs from Dublin to Naas, but for the most part, one can quite happily cruise along the 6 lane highway without the need for stopping.

    That's good enough for now!
    Agreed. However, I've read here several times that there's an alignment saved from the M50 to the M7 for a future potential motorway bypass of the Naas Road. Anyone know if that's still existent? Could you point it out on Google Maps/OSM?

    I'd hope it's been maintained so that HYPOTHETICALLY if the need were ever to arise in the distant future for a bypass it could be built.


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    #72
    Jayuu
    Registered Users Posts: 742 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    etchyed wrote: »
    Agreed. However, I've read here several times that there's an alignment saved from the M50 to the M7 for a future potential motorway bypass of the Naas Road. Anyone know if that's still existent? Could you point it out on Google Maps/OSM?

    I'd hope it's been maintained so that HYPOTHETICALLY if the need were ever to arise in the distant future for a bypass it could be built.

    I can't imagine it has been. Its be made very clear that a new junction (Junction 8) is never likely to be built and that was even before the work on the Red Cow and Newlands Cross and the M50 widening. I really can't imagine them ever backtracking on this in the next 10 to 20 years.

    I don't know exactly where the alignment was supposed to be. I know the junction was supposed to intersect the M50 just north of Clondalkin. Looking at the map I would imagine that it would have been close to the existing railway aligment between Naas and the M50.


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    #73
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,845 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    From memory its along the canal for much of its distance. Space for the interchange has been eaten at this point.


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    #74
    etchyed
    Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    That's a shame if it's not been kept. The sort of short-term thinking that I thought we'd managed to shake. It's not inconceivable that in 20 or 30 years time the Naas road could potentially be unfit for purpose, carrying as it does interurban traffic bound for three separate motorways and a lot of local commuter traffic. Even if it can't be justified for public spending, a junctionless bypass of the Naas Road, built UK M6 Toll-style with high tolls may have been warranted some day. Guess we'll never know now.


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    #75
    Mc Love
    Registered Users Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    Noticed on the M7 from annacotty to nenagh last night how bumpy certain sections are, I wonder are these the bog sections??


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    #76
    bg07
    Registered Users Posts: 247 ✭✭bg07


    Now that MacNamara Construction no longer exists, do the liabilities of Bóthar Hibernian N7 JV also cease in the event of another section of the Limerick to Nenagh road falling into the bog?


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    #77
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,845 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Mota Engil are still around; indeed it appeared to be solely them doing the repair works in the first place...


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    #78
    Berty
    Registered Users Posts: 26,149 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    Zombie Alert.

    Im very dissapointed with the bog section of the M7. It's very.......ummm..........bumpy along that section.

    Watch this space as it may become a crater soon.


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    #79
    Mc Love
    Registered Users Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    I said the exact same thing when it opened


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    #80
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 12,860 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    Is/Was there a plan for some new road to be built for 'Exit 20' or did they just count wrong?


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    #81
    Mc Love
    Registered Users Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    Its the same on the M50 where there is no junction 8 or is there??


    Just found this:
    There is no Junction 8, the junction number having being reserved for a potential extension of the M7 motorway from Lucan/Clondalkin to Naas. This is now unlikely to be built. However, there are plans to build Junction 8 in the coming years and use to it provide local access to the Cloverhill area of Palmerstown

    Also found this in relation to Junction 20

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63847425&postcount=488


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    #82
    ItHurtsWhenIP
    Registered Users Posts: 1,966 ✭✭✭ItHurtsWhenIP


    I drove Birdhill to Mad Cow today for the first time (virgin on the new Nenagh-Castletown section). It was dark, so can't comment on the scenery, but the road seemed very good.

    The J22/J23 LILOs are very sharp and the deceleration lanes look far too short, though I thought the Northbound acceleration lanes look OK. Haven't had a good look at the southbound section yet.


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    #83
    csd
    Registered Users Posts: 260 ✭✭csd


    More photos of the M7 from Sunday here.

    (Furet, feel free to cross-post, but the 15 image limit does my head in!)

    /csd


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    #84
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    csd wrote: »
    More photos of the M7 from Sunday here.

    (Furet, feel free to cross-post, but the 15 image limit does my head in!)

    /csd

    I'll ask the admins if it's possible to get an extension on the 15 photo limit for this forum.


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    #85
    Tech3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭Tech3


    I did a round-trip on the full M7 today for the first time today. The Nenagh-Limerick scheme is still not very pleasing to the eye. A lot of landscaping is required and I'm not judging it based on the area past the boggy sections.

    Then I drove on the Nenagh-Castletown scheme. Easily the best scheme on the whole M7 in my opinion. It was really important that it was built to a good standard given the schemes on either side of it. The road goes over some nice hills and curves and the surface is excellent. I like the straights on the LILO sections too although I hate the junctions themselves. It's actually a very interesting road to drive and makes the journey that less boring!

    I also noticed how bad traffic was outbound this evening towards Newlands Cross. This junction needs to be upgraded immediately. Traffic was crawling around 0-70km/hr from the Red Cow to Naas. Some of it down to bad driving skills on a D3M.


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    #86
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    Tremelo wrote: »
    I'll ask the admins if it's possible to get an extension on the 15 photo limit for this forum.

    No joy. It would be a big job apparently.


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    #87
    Mc Love
    Registered Users Posts: 14,015 ✭✭✭✭Mc Love


    I havent been on the M7 but the OH has and said that parts of the new motorway is down to one lane for most of the week...anyone know whats happening


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    #88
    Tragedy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Tragedy


    Is D3 needed for M7 Naas > M9 divergence? Anytime I've headed down to Kilcullen(via M9) around peak times, traffic has been at a standstill from just before Naas north offramp to Naas North onramp(if not further) with slow traffic until M9.


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    #89
    runway16
    Registered Users Posts: 304 ✭✭runway16


    Tragedy wrote: »
    Is D3 needed for M7 Naas > M9 divergence? Anytime I've headed down to Kilcullen(via M9) around peak times, traffic has been at a standstill from just before Naas north offramp to Naas North onramp(if not further) with slow traffic until M9.

    Its badly needed. And it has been planned for, but is now postponed until the aul finances improve...


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    #90
    101sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,884 ✭✭✭101sean


    The piling job through the bogs between Birdhill and Finnegans is featured in this months Earthmovers magazine if anyone wants to peruse it in Easons.

    The job featured in past issues as well including a feature on RAC Eire which caused a laugh or two on site at the time!


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    #91
    medoc
    Registered Users Posts: 967 ✭✭✭medoc


    Tragedy wrote: »
    Is D3 needed for M7 Naas > M9 divergence? Anytime I've headed down to Kilcullen(via M9) around peak times, traffic has been at a standstill from just before Naas north offramp to Naas North onramp(if not further) with slow traffic until M9.


    This project should also include M9 North to M7 West access been added to the M9 junction which shouldnt cost a huge amount. M7 East to M9 South probably couldn't be justified on cost grounds unfortunatly. Is there enough space for the 3rd lane on the Nass Bypass section, it looks tighter than the Newbridge section but could it be squeezed in within the existing land take and under the bridges.


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