M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

ongarboy

hmm...starting to get worried. We are getting very close to "the first week of December" and still no sign of an announcement date. I recall other openings this year getting at least 10 days to 2 weeks notice?? There is absolutely no risk this would get pushed into 2011, is there?? (what with all the budget/bailout/government dissolution crisis going on at the moment distracting everything else)

Sponge Bob

After being given out to at the last road opening by the adults Dempsey is spending the weekends coaching his own 'construction workers' to appear in the obligatory group photos this time round. He isn't quite ready yet which will delay the opening until mid december I should think. Friday the 10th looks good.

[img]http://www.noeldempsey.ie/images/igallery/dempsey_la-1/large/Minister Dempsey helps kids across the road.JPG[/img]

kevin7

ongarboy wrote: »

hmm...starting to get worried. We are getting very close to "the first week of December" and still no sign of an announcement date. I recall other openings this year getting at least 10 days to 2 weeks notice?? There is absolutely no risk this would get pushed into 2011, is there?? (what with all the budget/bailout/government dissolution crisis going on at the moment distracting everything else)

Well, the opening of this road is no ordinary opening - it is the final piece of the Interurban Motorway network, i.e. M1, M4/6, M7, M8, M9.

Its a major political kudos point which Fianna Fail will want to milk for all its worth, now that a general election is to happen.

As such they have to spin it the right way and they might be fairly busy these days dealing with Gormley, Rehn, Chopra, etc, so, they'll be holding off until they can maximise political capital.

Of course, we can't let this happen....it reminds me of the furore over the opening of a section of the M9 last Christmas which looked like being delayed for political purposes, but a campaign of people pressure did the trick and the opening went ahead without delay.

Some minister/politician, as I recall, once they had caved in to the pressure, seemed to deny there was ever any chance of a delay and it had all been imagined!

Jayuu

kevin7 wrote: »

Well, the opening of this road is no ordinary opening - it is the final piece of the Interurban Motorway network, i.e. M1, M4/6, M7, M8, M9.

Its a major political kudos point which Fianna Fail will want to milk for all its worth, now that a general election is to happen.

As such they have to spin it the right way and they might be fairly busy these days dealing with Gormley, Rehn, Chopra, etc, so, they'll be holding off until they can maximise political capital.

Of course, we can't let this happen....it reminds me of the furore over the opening of a section of the M9 last Christmas which looked like being delayed for political purposes, but a campaign of people pressure did the trick and the opening went ahead without delay.

Some minister/politician, as I recall, once they had caved in to the pressure, seemed to deny there was ever any chance of a delay and it had all been imagined!

I would imagine that there is no way this will happen before the budget on December 7th purely for political reasons. FF will need some sort of good news story for the days after a savage budget, so I fully expect this on maybe the 10th December or the 17th, just before Christmas.

I'd say if they thought they could get away with it they'd wait to open it until the election campaign is really on to try and get some publicity out of it. But given that we realistically won't have an election until around February/March there's no way they could hold off for that length of time.

luohaoran

Were the subcontractors paid yet?
Have they resumed work?
Is there much left to be done?

swingking

Heading from Limerick to Dublin next Friday so I'm really hoping they'll finally open the shagging road.

Seriously what's the hold up??? :mad::mad:

lukejr

The Limerick Post had an article on it, their source puts opening in early Jan 2011. NRA said it'll open before Christmas, but no date.

Big_Evil

And there was me thinking I would have moterway/HQDC all the way from the Cherrywood to the Tipp Road interchange in Lmk this side of Christmas..... :-(

MidlandsM

Sorry, forgot to post these, taken last week @ Borris in Ossary..

Amtmann

This WILL open in December.

highlydebased

lukejr wrote: »

The Limerick Post had an article on it, their source puts opening in early Jan 2011. NRA said it'll open before Christmas, but no date.

That paper is widely misinformed.

lukejr

I hope it opens in December, it looks like it is ready.

rainbowdash

swingking wrote: »

Heading from Limerick to Dublin next Friday so I'm really hoping they'll finally open the shagging road.

Seriously what's the hold up??? :mad::mad:

GENERAL ELECTION PHOTO OP.

slinky2000

The sooner the better anyway, I've been traveling this road for nearly 10 years and this is the last piece of my dream!

Then I'll start moaning about the lack of service stations!

Dirigent

rainbowdash wrote: »

GENERAL ELECTION PHOTO OP.

If there is yet another fatality on the old road over the Xmas rush, this might backfire.

recyclebin

I think the politicians know a photo op is no use to them at this stage. They are more likely to get egged than win a vote.

If you have proof they are delibrately holding up the opening then thats another story.

I'd say it's more likely that the workers are holding things up because they mightn't have much work left after this road opens.

I work in the manufacturing industry that is seasonal with busy periods and quite periods and I can see that when things are quite that jobs that should be done quickly are done alot slower as the lads doing the work want to appear to have something to do. They don't want to finish the job quickly in case they are let go when there are no jobs to do.

barney4001

Deedsie wrote: »

I think Chrstmas has been cancelled to be honest mate. Hopefully it will be open by the time the budget is announced. Can they increase the toll prices in the budget does anyone know?

Who actually benefits from the road tolls ,i think i read somewhere that the government had sold them off as well as the National Lottery

Amtmann

From what I've seen it's the landscaping and final fixes that are slowing things up. The signing, lining and studding is all done as far as I can tell.

Deedsie

Time to lobby and harass a few TD's again and the NRA lady. Get emailing boardsies.

lukejr

That poor NRA lady must dread seeing my emails each week.

Amtmann

lukejr wrote: »

That poor NRA lady must dread seeing my emails each week.

I've decided to send Ms McNally a Christmas card this year.

Berty

I drove Limerick to Newbridge and back today and was so dissapointed that the road is not open yet.

However they were working on the onramps/offramps at the Borris in Ossory section at around 5pm this evening. It was dark but they look like line painting trucks.

solidwork

this thread is very quiet these days. any signs no mater how small of this road opening before xmas.

lukejr

solidwork wrote: »

this thread is very quiet these days. any signs no mater how small of this road opening before xmas.

I have sent a few emails out to get a date, no word back yet, none. The NRA is silent on this. We really only have three weeks left to open this road in time, we should have a date by now.

sleepyman

It just seems there's been endless pissing about(& people being pissed on) on stretches of the M7- the bog near Nenagh, people not getting paid on this section etc.I'd be surprised if it's open before Christmas at this stage.
Although if it's finished there's no reason for it not to open.

Stark

I'm guessing it will be hard for them to progress now with the weather we've been having.

lukejr

All the surface works are done as far as I know, lets hope it is just landscaping and fencing that needs to be done. Driving to Dublin on 11 Dec, was really hoping it would be open by then.

sleepyman

lukejr wrote: »

All the surface works are done as far as I know, lets hope it is just landscaping and fencing that needs to be done. Driving to Dublin on 11 Dec, was really hoping it would be open by then.

Don't they normally give 2 or 3 weeks notice prior to opening?

lukejr

A local politician informed me that it should be open within the next 14 days.

The NRA still doesn't have an official opening date though.

black47

lukejr wrote: »

A local politician informed me that it should be open within the next 14 days.

The NRA still doesn't have an official opening date though.

It would be important politically to have it open this year so that our glorious leaders can say that all major urban routes were completed in 2010