M8 motorway (general thread)

KevR

Thanks Bards! A very interesting read.

Amtmann

Length of main carriageway: 40 km
Length of ancillary roads: 11 km

Interchanges (4): Cashel
Horse & Jockey
Twomileborris
Urlingford

Structures: (78) 21 road overbridges
4 road underbridges
1 Bord Na Mona rail bridge
7 river bridges
3 accommodation overbridges
9 accommodation underpasses
33 significant stream/river culverts

Earthworks: Bulk cut:4.3 million cubic metres
Bulk fill:3.0 million cubic metres
CBM sub-base and base laid: 670,000 tonnes
Bituminous surfacing laid: 470,000 tonnes
Structural concrete: 20,500 cubic metres

Trees and shrubs planted: 1 million

I doubt that last figure very much.

KevR

Was thinking that 1 million seemed very high. Imagine all the work involved in planting 1 million trees and shrubs - they'd probably still be at it now!

serfboard

KevR wrote: »

Was thinking that 1 million seemed very high. Imagine all the work involved in planting 1 million trees and shrubs - they'd probably still be at it now!

They probably invoiced for a million trees ... anyone who didn't think there were that many was presumably invited to go out and count them

Given how prone we are to over-statement in this country, you could imagine somebody in the office casting a cursory glance and saying "God, there must be about a MILLION of them!"

Bards

... unless they are talking seeds:eek:

BluntGuy

1 million shrubs and trees?

Since when did grass count as a tree?

Amtmann

As you can see, the widening of the southbound carriageway (presumably to create a new on-slip) is almost ready for CMB. I guess that once that is operational, probably within the next two weeks, the contractors will gouge out the central bits of the Fermoy Bypass shown above and fuse it with the M-F scheme.

BluntGuy

Thanks for the pictures Furet. A couple of observations:

1) They seem to be keeping the "M8 (Toll)" signage. :mad:

2) The slip-road seems slightly lower than before. There will also be sharper left-turn before it merges with the mainline.

3) They've removed the telephone and the signs from the middle of the carriageway.

I'm confident now that this will be finished by mid-April and will closely reflect the current layout at J12. Judging by their progress on crafting out a new slip-road, chunking out the middle of the carriageway and smoothening it should take no more than a month. That said, there is a lot of material to remove.

Also, have they already painted new lines on the off-slip? (I refer specifically to the hatchings).

Amtmann

I don't know. I must say, it seems to be taking a little longer than I was hoping for.

Chris_533976

End of motorway signs in the wrong place

Amtmann

New M7/M8 newsletter: http://www.crg.ie/PortlaoiseNewsletterFeb09.pdf

Amtmann

I finally managed to photograph the Glanmire Bypass plaque at the Dunkettle Interchange from my car window while stuck at the lights. This will be handy for the expanded "History" section of the M8 wikipedia page when the redesignation goes through. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Glanmire_Bypass_plaque.JPG

spacetweek

Furet wrote: »

I finally managed to photograph the Glanmire Bypass plaque at the Dunkettle Interchange from my car window while stuck at the lights. This will be handy for the expanded "History" section of the M8 wikipedia page when the redesignation goes through. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Glanmire_Bypass_plaque.JPG

Can't read that, it seems to be entirely written in a foreign language.

cantalach

spacetweek wrote: »

Can't read that, it seems to be entirely written in a foreign language.

We're the ones using the foreign language.

marmurr1916

Furet wrote: »

I finally managed to photograph the Glanmire Bypass plaque at the Dunkettle Interchange from my car window while stuck at the lights. This will be handy for the expanded "History" section of the M8 wikipedia page when the redesignation goes through. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Glanmire_Bypass_plaque.JPG

This is what the shortened version of that link is displaying as:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ass_plaque.JPG

I know a few people who should be given an ass plaque.

BluntGuy

Does anybody have any updates on the M8? Is the new Fermoy Bypass on-slip operational?

larryone

I'll be driving north by it tomorrow, will report anything interesting I see.

larryone

It's a bit difficult to see from the off ramp (which is now partially in the hard shoulder), but I think I saw the new on ramp being used. Not much else has changed - I was hoping to see a bit more progress since the last time I was there. The northbound on ramp didn't have the barrier accross on it, would have liked to give the road a pre-opening test run =0)

Amtmann

Just back from driving myself.

Glanmire Bypass
Roadside and median foliage has all been pruned well back. Foundations for new signposts all installed.

Watergrasshill Bypass
Foundations for new signposts installed. The pinkish overbridges are being repainted with the same colour.

Fermoy Bypass tie-in
As Larryone pointed out, the new on-ramp is operational. Work on the mainline will presumably get underway from next week.

Mitchelstown-Fermoy Scheme
The contractors have started to lay the final surface south of junction 13. Almost all signpost poles have been erected. Landscaping works are at an advanced state. The concrete median has almost reached Carrigane.It looks like this scheme will be almost or fully complete by the time the Fermoy Bypass tie-in works are done.

BluntGuy

Thanks for the updates larryone and Furet.

This is excellent news. I'm glad to see work on the motorway redesignation is still ongoing. Just how many new signposts poles are there?

Surprised to see signpost poles up on Mitch-Fermoy already. Again, this is evidence of just how quick this scheme is flying ahead. A May/June opening now looks extremely likely, if not certain. Wouldn't say end April, perhaps a bit too hopeful, but certainly July at the latest, if not earlier.

As for the Fermoy on-slip... does it blend nicely back into the existing bypass or is it a patchy mess?

Amtmann

Regarding new poles on the GB and WB, the speed limit, countdown and end-of-motorway poles are up already. Only the foundations for the ADS are installed.

The new onslip for the Fermoy Bypass seemed good to me - nicely laid, even, and blended in well to the mainline. A mountain of work still to do with the actual merger of the two mainlines though.

M-F: Yes, signage poles of all types have been going up daily now. The only things not yet installed are the cantilevers. The crash barriers are also up. I'm still thinking end of April to mid-May for the opening. As I wrote above, the final surface is already being laid, and landscaping works seem almost complete. Most of the mainline is extremely tidy now, and is starting to look less like a building site and more like a motorway sans furniture.

Amtmann

The above pictures were taken today (14 March). The photos show some sections of the southern half of the route. They were taken from two overbridges located behind the hilltop pub about 2 km south of junction 13 on the current N8. You can see the tidiness I talked about - almost the entire route is like this. You can also see some of the ADS poles.

BluntGuy

Thanks for the pictures Furet, nice to see it taking shape so well. It quite simply puts the P-C/C scheme to shame. It seems all major works on the scheme (excluding Junction 14) are complete.

Also good, as I said, to see redesignation flying ahead despite the DoT's silence on the issue. I did e-mail them, and they haven't responded, so I will ring them on Monday to ask about this - I don't expect any alarming revelations to be made, but y'never know.

One question, has the Fermoy Bypass had any new poles erected? I doubt they'll put up cantilevers, but surely the 2km ADS needs to be put up for consistency (I don't find it the most useful signage, but I still think signage should be consistent). Also, I wonder if the British-style "R639" gore-signs will be replaced.

Simply put, this will be another great year for the M8 motorway, except for the 12 km stretch at the top which is taking its good sweet time. I know they have a year-and-a-half to finish it, but when you consider they haven't even begun with the pavement you do have to wonder how they'll get 40 km (including M7 segment) of it done within that time frame. I sadly predict mid 2011 for the M7/M8 scheme, but I'm more than happy to be proven wrong.

G_R

BluntGuy wrote: »

I sadly predict mid 2011 for the M7/M8 scheme, but I'm more than happy to be proven wrong.

i hope you are proven wrong- i cant take another 2.5 years of abbeyleix traffic jams!

i was going past it the other day and on the one bridge that you can see, before it goes off into the left near cullahill, there was a jeep and a crane with flashin yellow lights parked beside it so they are still wprking on it...jus painfully slowly

larryone

I was driving south on Tuesday, and managed the rare feat of reaching the M-F section in daylight. They still dont have the central wall up at the northern end, but passing accross the new road after Michelstown (Junction 14, isn't it?) the wall is visible as far as line of sight will allow in both directions.
At the Fermoy tie-in, the wall is visible all the way to the north, and now comes in under the bridge towards where the earth works are going on. There was a bit of difference in the shape of things, but not much. They are slowly eating away at the obstructing part of the old motorway terminus.
I'll be driving north through here again probably in about 10 days time, anyone taking the road between now and then?

The section north of Cullahill looks like it's creeping along. I haven't really been paying as much attention to it, but then there isn't as much visible from the existing road, and daylight wasn't in my favour. That first bridge actually has a span accross it now tho! I remember for months the only visible structure was in the form of two half finished end points for it.
Early completion? We live in hope....


Edit: It's junction 13 - the one just south of Michelstown, not 14. 14 is the tie-in at the Fermoy end

Amtmann

Amtmann

So, as you can see, grade separation has been achieved, and the mainlines of both schemes are being prepped for union. I think this will be done within two weeks.

***

Below are some other photos of lining progress and the junction 12 Carrigane tie-in.

At Kilworth.


At Junction 14, looking north.


The Carrigane tie-in.

cantalach

Furet wrote: »

At Junction 14, looking north.

That seems awfully twisty for a motorway. What sort of sight lines is that going to provide? Looks cheap. Reminds me of some of the crappy sections of autostrada you see in poorer parts of Italy.

Amtmann

It's quite bendy alright. My camera was on high zoom though, so the picture appears far more distorted than the real thing actually is. Site lines will be fine, but it won't be a patch on the Watergrasshill Bypass or the Cashel to Cullahill scheme for instance.

Finish Da Road!

Hello! Does anyone have any news on the cullahill/portlaoise section of the motorway? Will it be opened as a 30km stretch or in sections? As a regular user from cashel to dublin I'm like a child waiting for christmas!!! keep up da good work.