M8 - Cashel to Cullahill

Steviemak

Well, I guess it is now officially open.

Bye Bye Josephines.

rekrow

KevR wrote: »

Anyone know how much under-budget this project came in? Can't seem to find a figure anywhere.


Thanks

Excellent question. One I'm afraid I can't answer.

It is amazing that the press release on the transport website mentioned 3 times that the project was delivered ahead of schedule. Another question worth asking is how come on all projects this year the PMs were not able to acurately determine the completion date for the project. I am not sure of the start date of this project, but even if it was 3 years ago they still were 20% off in their calculation. Don't get me wrong I am delighted to see these roads opening. What bugs me is that the completion dates are being artifically extended so as to make it look like they are delivered early? Has anyone heard a reason for the early completion? According to the parliamentary questions section on the Transport 21 site the M for T was asked (or answered on) the 22nd of October for a revised schedule for the current T21 projects http://www.transport21.ie/MEDIA/Parliamentary_Questions/Revised_timeline_for_projects_and_the_effect_of_cut_in_public_transport_investment_programme_budget.html

He gave an indicative date of 2009 for this scheme. That means less than 8 weeks ago the minister had no updated information on the planned completion date of this project. Does anybody have a decoded list of the real completion dates for T21? For example the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe the contractor is quoting the 4th of Jan 2010. On the same site the NRA are saying that the completion date is Q2 2010. Interested to hear if anyone else has more accurate completion dates for the current schemes? Any others planned to open in 2009?

Our man in Havana

Steviemak wrote: »

Well, I guess it is now officially open.

Bye Bye Josephines.

People will still go into Urlingford for the cheap fuel.

Steviemak

Bond-007 wrote: »

People will still go into Urlingford for the cheap fuel.

I'm sure they will but I was kind of referring to myself as I won't. I'm sure Josephine's will continue to survive on bus traffic.

If the Petrol stations in Cullahill or Abbeyleix lower their prices to match Urlingford or Johnstown they'll make a killing and finish off Urlingford/Johnstown as far as cheap petrol for cars are concerned.

Question is will they do that or profiteer as they will be the only mid point stations on the Cork Dublin route??

Amtmann

I went for an impromptu drive on it today. In fact, I'd say I was the sixth car to use it, heading north.

Well well. What to say?

Firstly, there is no other road in Ireland like this. It wasn't built; it was crafted.

Everything about it is perfect.

It is so smooth and even.
The lines are bright and clear.
The signage is exemplary. There is a big sign for Kilkenny Castle close to junction 4, and the Laois and Kilkenny county councils have placed pleasing brown signs welcoming travellers through their jurisdictions.
The landscaping is exquisite; I would even say that it is manicured. It is much more heavily planted than other motorways that opened this year.
The new road blends seamlessly into its surrounding landscape, which is stunning: craggy trees and fields, stark bogland, and thousands of acres of coniferous woodland accompany the route.
The engineering is highly commendable. Two sections are especially impressive: just north of Cashel, and just north of Urlingford. The engineers and builders have made a work of art out of carving through some serious rock.

I can honestly say that compared with this new scheme, Cashel to Mitchelstown looks like it was built by a blind man.

10/10.

BluntGuy

I'm back from driving it, and let me tell you, it is one of the most wonderful stretches of motorway in the country.

First of all, it is straight. WAY straighter than the Cashel-Mitchelstown scheme. I cannot emphasize just how much higher the build quality is here. It is of a higher standard than the Fermoy bypass.

The lighting at junctions isn't quite as good as say, the M7, but the lighting on a whole is excellent. The central median has reflectors, so visibility is not a problem.

It takes maybe 25 minutes to clear the stretch (I didn't time myself) and it blends perfectly into the Cashel bypass.

One small problem, the "M8" signage as you enter the motorway uses the wrong font every single time (however on the ADS it uses the correct font). Don't know how that happened, but it's not a huge problem. The ADS signage also has the little "E201" marker like the C-M scheme.

The landscaping is continually excellent. The emergency phones are all in place. The signage is all correct (they've even future-proofed it - going "northbound" on all the ADS signage they have "M8 (M7)" - the M7 bit is covered though.

The temporary exit is dodgy though: for a start, the "motorway ahead" signs are practically on the slip-road which is useless. Second, it IS too narrow, and there is great potential for bottlenecks. Third, it isn't that well-lit.

As for the Cullahill-Portlaoise scheme...



Nuff said.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

I went for an impromptu drive on it today. In fact, I'd say I was the sixth car to use it, heading north.

Well well. What to say?

Firstly, there is no other road in Ireland like this. It wasn't built; it was crafted.

I couldn't agree more.

Amtmann

BluntGuy wrote: »

I'm back from driving it, and let me tell you, it is one of the most wonderful stretches of motorway in the country.

Did you get to drive it while it was still bright?

It takes maybe 25 minutes to clear the stretch (I didn't time myself) and it blends perfectly into the Cashel bypass.

I entered at the slip road at 4.18 and was at Carrigane (junction 12) at 4.54. It knocks some serious minutes off the journey - plus, you're ten times safer.

One small problem, the "M8" signage as you enter the motorway uses the wrong font every single time (however on the ADS it uses the correct font). Don't know how that happened, but it's not a huge problem. The ADS signage also has the little "E201" marker like the C-M scheme.

I could be wrong, but I think it is the right font, only bolded for some reason.

The landscaping is continually excellent. The emergency phones are all in place. The signage is all correct (they've even future-proofed it - going "northbound" on all the ADS signage they have "M8 (M7)" - the M7 bit is covered though.

I think that might also say 'toll'.

The temporary exit is dodgy though: for a start, the "motorway ahead" signs are practically on the slip-road which is useless. Second, it IS too narrow, and there is great potential for bottlenecks. Third, it isn't that well-lit.

Absolutely. I don't count this as detracting from the scheme on the whole though, since it's temporary. And yes - it is waay to narrow.

As for the Cullahill-Portlaoise scheme...



Nuff said.

Yup. That bloody overbridge still isn't finished (they started it last May!!). Forget about it though, at least for now. Today is a good day.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote:

Did you get to drive it while it was still bright?

It was bright enough. I managed to video a few bits of it, but the video is quite low-resolution.

Furet wrote:

I entered at the slip road at 4.18 and was at Carrigane (junction 12) at 4.54. It knocks some serious minutes off the journey - plus, you're ten times safer.

Well I was soaking in the feel of the new road. I didn't race down it. I may have been doing nearer to 100.

Furet wrote:

I could be wrong, but I think it is the right font, only bolded for some reason.

No, the font is wrong. It's the transport heavy font rather than the motorway font. (see the attachments)

Furet wrote:

I think that might also say 'toll'.

Possibly.

Furet wrote:

Yup. That bloody overbridge still isn't finished (they started it last May!!). Forget about it though, at least for now. Today is a good day.

Yes. I stopped to take a photo, but quite simply, there was nothing to take a photo of.

Our man in Havana

The on slips at J7 have the same wrong fonts. :rolleyes:

D.L.R.

Great to hear rave reviews of a new motorway for a change, instead of misgivings and querying. Who is the contractor, and what other stretches are they working on?

Is there anyone out there who's been on all the new motorways this year (M6, M8, M9) and how do they compare?

D.L.R.

Bond-007 wrote: »

The on slips at J7 have the same wrong fonts. :rolleyes:

Right or wrong, that font looks miles better than the usual one IMO.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1208/road.html

New 40km stretch on Dublin-Cork road
Monday, 8 December 2008 14:44

A new stretch of motorway has opened that will help thousands of motorists travelling every day between Dublin and Cork.

The 40km Cullahill to Cashel section of the motorway (known as the M8) started in November 2006 and has been completed seven months ahead of schedule and under budget.

The new section of road cost €435m to build. It contains 46 bridges and runs between Cullahill in Co Laois (south of Durrow) and Cashel in Co Tipperary, and it ties into the Cashel Bypass (opened in 2004) at a new interchange.
Advertisement

The main towns and villages bypassed include Johnstown and Urlingford in Co Kilkenny and Littleton and Horse & Jockey in Co Tipperary.

Around 16,000 motorists use this road each day. The National Roads Authority says motorists will save 10-20 minutes at peak times when travelling on the new stretch of motorway.

Still under construction on the Dublin-Cork route is the 16km M8 Mitchelstown - Fermoy stretch, and the Portlaoise to Cullahill bypass, both due to open in 2010.

Zuisse

Just back from driving on it - an absolute pleasure.
Have to agree with all the comments so far, it really is an excellent road.
I reckon it knocked about 10 minutes off the journey time.

Steviemak

After those reviews I'm really looking forward to driving it on Friday (just a pity it'll be in the dark)

Amtmann

By the way, there's no northbound access at junction 5 (Thurles, Two-Mile Borris).

Steviemak

Big Thanks to BluntGuy and Furet for the constant updates on this road. Much appreciated.

Amtmann

D.L.R. wrote: »

Great to hear rave reviews of a new motorway for a change, instead of misgivings and querying. Who is the contractor, and what other stretches are they working on?

The contractor was Roadbridge and Sisk, working together. Bizarrely, they also built the Cashel to Mitchelstown stretch, which is a bit of a hatchet-job compared to this.

I'm thinking a lot of it comes down to the local authority overseeing the project. In the case of Cashel to Cullahill, that was Kilkenny, while South Tipp Co Co ran the Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme. Kilkenny Council obviously take a lot more pride in their landscape: they made the landscapers tidy all the verges, and they showcased their county very well (County welcome signs/sign for Kilkenny Castle). South Tipp did none of that.

Roadbridge are also building the Mitchelstown to Fermoy scheme (without Sisk), and also, I think, parts of the M9 and Waterford City bypass.

BluntGuy

Steviemak wrote: »

After those reviews I'm really looking forward to driving it on Friday (just a pity it'll be in the dark)

It's a shame you have to drive it in the dark.

But when you do get a good day to drive; north of Urlingford just take a look at the amazing rock section. The road is cut very deeply into the rock and there is a high overbridge looking down onto it. A stunning sight both on the road and from the bridge (think Fermoy bypass rock section after the viaduct going southbound, but even better).

Truly, you have not experienced Irish motorways at their finest, until you have driven on this road. This road single-handedly showcases that narrow-median roads can be just as majestic, and just as nice to drive as the wide-median ones (which are generally regarded as more aesthetically pleasing).

Our man in Havana

That was a bit stupid. So all traffic is forced out the N62 to J6 (Horse and Jockey).

Amtmann

Bond-007 wrote: »

That was a bit stupid. So all traffic is forced out the N62 to J6 (Horse and Jockey).

Northbound traffic must take exit 6 for Thurles; Southbound traffic can take either 5 or 6.

Amtmann

BluntGuy wrote: »

It's a shame you have to drive it in the dark.

But when you do get a good day to drive; north of Urlingford just take a look at the amazing rock section. The road is cut very deeply into the rock and there is a high overbridge looking down onto it. A stunning sight both on the road and from the bridge (think Fermoy bypass rock section after the viaduct going southbound, but even better).

Truly, you have not experienced Irish motorways at their finest, until you have driven on this road. This road single-handedly showcases that narrow-median roads can be just as majestic, and just as nice to drive as the wide-median ones (which are generally regarded as more aesthetically pleasing).

That overbridge you're referring to is very cool alright, especially approaching it from the south.

(Did we mention that the asphalt is actually made from gold? )

BluntGuy

More information about that road:

See this picture of the Cashel-Mitchelstown scheme:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/M8_busy.jpg

Notice the way the road bends at the overbridge to accomodate the supporting columns. That's quite a common feature of the C-M scheme. There is none of that on the Cashel-Cullahill scheme.

Also, there are NO bumps on the Cashel-Cullahill scheme (and that is not an exaggeration). Compare and contrast to the Cashel-Mitchelstown scheme. Lumps and bumps all over the place (although I must add - the C-M scheme is still a nice road and is still perfectly adequate for 120 km/h travel. The C-C scheme is just that bit nicer.)

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

Did we mention that the asphalt is actually made from gold?

I forgot about that.

But yes, I can verify that that is indeed true.

Our man in Havana

Did a blind man build C-M?

BluntGuy

Bond-007 wrote: »

Did a blind man build C-M?

Not to my knowledge.

Amtmann

Bond-007 wrote: »

Did a blind man build C-M?

Don't get me started. Firstly, C-M is a very satisfying drive, as a drive, and nothing more. It is a bit bumpy as BluntGuy says, and the verges are horrendously bare, brown and weedy. It's still a good road. That particular photo is akin, I suppose, to an actress having all her blemishes exposed under harsh, white light. When you're driving C-M, you don't see that harshness. And, on a clear day, you also have Glengarra Wood and three mountain ranges to improve the look of the place.

In any case, I've been informed that C-M will be planted with more trees over the coming months. Apparently, it opened without the landscaping being finished. The surface isn't as bumpy now as it was initially.

It's not that C-M is bad as such; it's that C-C is about 50 times better - and much, much straighter.

BluntGuy

I have a few videos of that stretch. But they are horrendously low-resolution (I didn't have a video camera - I was using my phone).

I will try and find a way to upload them to a file-hoster and I'll put annotations of them to describe what's going on. But don't expect much, honestly. I'm not promising anything, I'm just going to give it a try.

Amtmann

rekrow wrote: »

He gave an indicative date of 2009 for this scheme. That means less than 8 weeks ago the minister had no updated information on the planned completion date of this project.

Yes. I remember speaking to a Dept. of Transport official by phone last July. I asked when Cashel to Cullahill would open, and I could actually hear him check some files. He said 'June 2009'; I said, confidently, ''it'll open much sooner than that'' (that was 'round about the time we were expecting a September opening here on boards.ie), and he seemed very surprised, certain that there was no way it would open before April '09.

Does anybody have a decoded list of the real completion dates for T21? For example the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe the contractor is quoting the 4th of Jan 2010. On the same site the NRA are saying that the completion date is Q2 2010. Interested to hear if anyone else has more accurate completion dates for the current schemes? Any others planned to open in 2009?

Mitchelstown to Fermoy for sure. The rest I don't know about.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

Yes. I remember speaking to a Dept. of Transport official by phone last July. I asked when Cashel to Cullahill would open, and I could actually hear him check some files. He said 'June 2009'; I said, confidently, ''it'll open much sooner than that'' (that was 'round about the time we were expecting a September opening here on boards.ie), and he seemed very surprised, certain that there was no way it would open before April '09.



Mitchelstown to Fermoy for sure. The rest I don't know about.

I'm afraid 2009 is not going to be a particularly massive year for road-openings. Well will be getting the Waterford City Bypass (somewhat marred by its non-motorway status), the Mitchelstown-Fermoy scheme (possibly the best section to open next year), the Nenagh-Limerick (although that's already behind schedule and could easily find its way into 2010), Ballinasloe-Athlone (not really that significant, it doesn't bypass Ballinasloe - it merely extends the M6 past Athlone). The M9 Waterford-Knocktopher will also most likely open.

2010 is where all the big-hitters start to finally arrive.

The M7 will get two mammoth installments. The M8 will finally be linked to the M7 and completed. The M6 will have a massive section opening. The M9 will have two huge sections opening. The Limerick Tunnel will be completed. The huge M3 project will be completed (60 km - the length of the current M7). Also, if the NRA are to believed, 12 service stations will also be popping up over that year. Now THAT is the year I'm looking forward to. The ultimate year for Irish road-openings where many milestones will be reached.