Contractor announced for N8 Cashel-Cullahill

road_high

€434m road to cut time between cities


A NEW 40km road costing €434m, part of the link between Dublin and Cork, was yesterday heralded as the longest single stretch of motorway to be built in the country.

Work will begin in October.

The National Roads Authority said when the Cullahill to Cashel link was finished in 2009, it would mean just 30km would remain be built to complete a direct motorway route between Dublin and Cork.

NRA spokesman Sean O'Neill said the new road would cut the journey time between the two cities at peak times from between 4½ and five hours at present to between three and 3½.

The contract for the new 40km M8/N8 link was awarded yesterday by Kilkenny County council to Roadbridge/Sisk JV.

The project will feature 30km of dual-carriageway and 10km of motorway.

Up until now the longest stretch of road had been the 37km Kilcock to Kinnegad stretch of the M4.

It was started in 2003 and completed in December 2005.

The route of the new road will begin at the N8 Cashel bypass in Co Tipperary and end at Cullahill in Co Laois.

There it will link up with the proposed 14km M7/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill road.

Work on it is expected to get under way in 2007.

Work on the remaining final stretch of the Dublin to Cork route, linking Mitchelstown with Fermoy, is expected to begin in early 2008.

The new motorway will also feature junctions at Cashel, Horse and Jockey, Twomileborris and Urlingford.

Eugene Moloney

Chris_533976

At least they're getting started on it, but I still dispute the seemingly pointless arguing between M8 and N8. Theres a perfectly decent N8 there at the moment, so lets just make this M8.

Its going to be hilarious for tourists. Buckets of "End of Motorway" signs all down the road... so the tourists slow down, waiting for a roundabout. Nothing. Just more Dual Carriageway.

Its a farce, really, but I'm glad its being built. I'd rather have a DC with a silly non motorway rule than the cart track thats there at the moment

darkman2

mfitzy wrote:

€434m road to cut time between cities


A NEW 40km road costing €434m, part of the link between Dublin and Cork, was yesterday heralded as the longest single stretch of motorway to be built in the country.

Work will begin in October.

The National Roads Authority said when the Cullahill to Cashel link was finished in 2009, it would mean just 30km would remain be built to complete a direct motorway route between Dublin and Cork.

NRA spokesman Sean O'Neill said the new road would cut the journey time between the two cities at peak times from between 4½ and five hours at present to between three and 3½.

The contract for the new 40km M8/N8 link was awarded yesterday by Kilkenny County council to Roadbridge/Sisk JV.

The project will feature 30km of dual-carriageway and 10km of motorway.

Up until now the longest stretch of road had been the 37km Kilcock to Kinnegad stretch of the M4.

It was started in 2003 and completed in December 2005.

The route of the new road will begin at the N8 Cashel bypass in Co Tipperary and end at Cullahill in Co Laois.

There it will link up with the proposed 14km M7/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill road.

Work on it is expected to get under way in 2007.

Work on the remaining final stretch of the Dublin to Cork route, linking Mitchelstown with Fermoy, is expected to begin in early 2008.

The new motorway will also feature junctions at Cashel, Horse and Jockey, Twomileborris and Urlingford.

Eugene Moloney

Strange name for a town - 'horse and jockey':D

Chris_533976

I wouldnt even call it a town Its more like pub,petrol station, corner shop, few houses and an incredibly large traffic calming sign

mackerski

How can 10km equate to "the longest single stretch of motorway to be built in the country"? Is this the same way that Stephen Roche was the first British or Irish cyclist to win the Tour de France?

Dermot

nordydan

This dubious title will only last until the M3 to Kells is built, all 60km of it. The Galway to East of Ballinsloe is also considerably longer, about 56 I think.

PS Why is horse and jockey so called. Is there a racecourse there?

loyatemu

it's 40km and its the longest stretch they've built in one go.

Its going to be hilarious for tourists. Buckets of "End of Motorway" signs all down the road... so the tourists slow down, waiting for a roundabout. Nothing. Just more Dual Carriageway.

motorways regularly turn into non-motorway highways in other countries so I wouldn't worry too much about the tourists. I do agree though that if its built to mway standard it should be designated as such (it will probably have a 120km/h limit anyway)

mackerski

loyatemu wrote:

it's 40km and its the longest stretch they've built in one go.

The whole project is 40km. However, "The project will feature 30km of dual-carriageway and 10km of motorway."

Dermot

Happy Bertie

mfitzy wrote:

€434m road to cut time between cities


A NEW 40km road costing €434m, part of the link between Dublin and Cork, was yesterday heralded as the longest single stretch of motorway to be built in the country.

Wasn't the N4 Kilcock-Kinnegad scheme also "hearlded as the longest stretch" at 40km.

Did they only want to make 10km of it motorway standard to save yellow paint:D ???.....It wouldn't surprise me.

From my reading, there is no official standard for "dual carriageway" , it's whatever a government wishes it to be. In Ireland, it's often a motorway with a broken yellow stripe. This argument has been covered before...search the forums.

Fool 5000

Wasn't the N4 Kilcock-Kinnegad scheme also "hearlded as the longest stretch" at 40km.

That road aint 40km , its more like 30km .The NRA must have a problem in thinking they built more than they did! :rolleyes:

nordydan

It was listed as 39km on the official opening brochure, so its a full 30 seconds shorter than the new scheme.