M8 - Cashel to Cullahill

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

More tractors (three) on the M8 between exits 7 and 9 today. This time one was drawing a load of silage bales, again half on the hard shoulder.

Well isn't that just grand!

Again, we see the ridiculous logic of "ah sure if I drive in the hard shoulder, 'twill be fine".

Selfish, stupid and unsafe...

warrenstown

Furet wrote: »

More tractors (three) on the M8 between exits 7 and 9 today. This time one was drawing a load of silage bales, again half on the hard shoulder.

I phoned Cashel Gardai today about it to complain and they admitted that there is a big problem on parts of the M8. They've promised to clamp down on it.

Well that could explain the 3 squad cars I saw driving on the motorway between Urlingford and Two-Mile-Borris on Saturday afternoon.

Bond-007 wrote: »

Are they going to reduce the speedlimit on the R639 (the old N8) to 80km/h?

They seem to have done that around Urlingford and Johnstown anyway. Coming along the old N8 towards Johnstown on Friday night it was 80 kph but the speed signs closer to the village were for 100kph. However by Monday afternoon they were all 80kph.

Why the drop in the speed limit, apart from (I'm guessing) legal designations? It's still a good quality stretch of road and it's now safer because of the lack of traffic. The Johnstown to Kilkenny road is atrocious, narrow with bad bends and bumps, and that's 80kph. Is there no leeway? Is it a case that once a road goes from being called N* to R***, it's straight away 80kph?

Also, how come there's cement barriers between the lanes on the new stretch of motorway? I thought with a speed limit of 120kph, they would have those thick wire barriers (I don't know the name of them) and that the cement barriers were for 100kph stretches of dual carriageway? I know motorcyclists don't like the wire ones, is that the reason? Or is it because it was originally meant to be a 100kph stretch, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_motorway_(Ireland)

Thanks.

Stark

warrenstown wrote:

Is there no leeway? Is it a case that once a road goes from being called N* to R***, it's straight away 80kph?

That is indeed the situation. It's up to the council then to put a special speed limit on the road to bring it back to 100km/hr if they feel so inclined.

warrenstown wrote:

Also, how come there's cement barriers between the lanes on the new stretch of motorway? I thought with a speed limit of 120kph, they would have those thick wire barriers (I don't know the name of them) and that the cement barriers were for 100kph stretches of dual carriageway? I know motorcyclists don't like the wire ones, is that the reason? Or is it because it was originally meant to be a 100kph stretch, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_motorway_(Ireland)

Cement barriers are the new standard for Irish motorways. They're much safer than the old style barriers, which won't stop something like a truck from crossing over into the other carriageway.

L1011

warrenstown wrote: »

Also, how come there's cement barriers between the lanes on the new stretch of motorway? I thought with a speed limit of 120kph, they would have those thick wire barriers (I don't know the name of them) and that the cement barriers were for 100kph stretches of dual carriageway? I know motorcyclists don't like the wire ones, is that the reason? Or is it because it was originally meant to be a 100kph stretch, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_motorway_(Ireland)

Thanks.

The concerete "jersey barriers" are far safer than the wire barriers for cars; incalculably safer for bikers and require virtually no maintainence...

BluntGuy

warrenstown wrote: »

Why the drop in the speed limit, apart from (I'm guessing) legal designations? It's still a good quality stretch of road and it's now safer because of the lack of traffic. The Johnstown to Kilkenny road is atrocious, narrow with bad bends and bumps, and that's 80kph. Is there no leeway? Is it a case that once a road goes from being called N* to R***, it's straight away 80kph?

What really annoys me (apart from the ridiculous infexibility in our speed limit system), is the fact they can find the money to buy new signs to unnecessarily (in many cases) lower speed limits, yet they can't find the cash to shove simple "M8" patches on local roads so as to confirm to local drivers that the new road is M8 (i.e a motorway) not N8.

warrenstown wrote: »

Also, how come there's cement barriers between the lanes on the new stretch of motorway? I thought with a speed limit of 120kph, they would have those thick wire barriers (I don't know the name of them) and that the cement barriers were for 100kph stretches of dual carriageway? I know motorcyclists don't like the wire ones, is that the reason? Or is it because it was originally meant to be a 100kph stretch, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_motorway_(Ireland)

I think other people have already explained this point well enough, but I might as well too. Concrete step barriers are the barriers that are used on all new motorway schemes both in Ireland and the UK. Old motorways undergoing upgrades such as the M50 here and the M1 and M4 in the UK will have their old barriers replaced with this.

Heroditas

Travelled down to Cork and back today - the new stretches open in the last couple of months make such a massive difference! 2hrs 34mins from Blackpool to Lucan this afternoon. :eek:

murphaph

MYOB wrote: »

The concerete "jersey barriers" are far safer than the wire barriers for cars; incalculably safer for bikers and require virtually no maintainence...

....and consequently are also much safer for road maintenance crews. Better solution all round and don't look so 'urban' once they've weathered a little bit.

Steviemak

Heroditas wrote: »

Travelled down to Cork and back today - the new stretches open in the last couple of months make such a massive difference! 2hrs 34mins from Blackpool to Lucan this afternoon. :eek:

Yeah, travelled up on Sunday and it took 2hr 25mins from Bishopstown to Red Cow. When the entire stretch is done it'll be 2hrs from Dunkettle to Red Cow without breaking the speed limit.

warrenstown

BluntGuy wrote: »

I think other people have already explained this point well enough, but I might as well too. Concrete step barriers are the barriers that are used on all new motorway schemes both in Ireland and the UK. Old motorways undergoing upgrades such as the M50 here and the M1 and M4 in the UK will have their old barriers replaced with this.

Thanks for the responses. I had always thought that the wire barrier, being more flexible, dissipated the energy of a crash better than the concrete barrier (for a car at least). It's good to see 'best practise' being used on these new roads.

Victor

Moved from Commuting & Transport.