M8 - Mitchelstown to Fermoy

Amtmann

Furet wrote: »

...Then we have this progression, all taken from the R665 (i.e. the Clonmel to Mitchelstown road) overbridge just north of Mitchelstown:

22 November 2008


15 December 2008


16 January 2009


31 January 2009


The pace has quickened. There seems to be more machinery on the site.

And 21 March 2009...


Some more photos of how things currently stand on the northern half of the route:





At Carrigane (junction 12) you can just see the median approaching the C-M scheme. This should be completely tied in by next Friday:


A roundabout built as part of the M-F scheme at the R665 overbridge. I add this photo to show that a little bit of landscaping goes a long way. A few bulbs and one tree make a big difference; contrast this with the spartan roundabouts on the C-M scheme overbridges:


The photo below shows the Fermoy Bypass tie-in as it is today on 21 March. It was taken early this morning, hence the haziness. But a power of work was done here during the past week. It's really starting to take shape now, though it's hard to make out from this picture:








Finally, it seems that a large amount of the southbound carriageway between exits 14 and 13 has received the final surface. As I pointed out over on infrastructure, almost all the sign poles and crash barriers are up along the entire route.

Davy

Has to be the quickest road in the country. Some great pics their. Pity the limerick road doesn't have the same performance. thanks for the update furet

Cian R

When should this road be opened by? How many months?:)

Amtmann

Cian R wrote: »

When should this road be opened by? How many months?:)

I think mid-May.

Tech3

Excellent photos Furet!

I enjoyed looking at one stage at the progress from start of construction to end, we might look at doing the same thing on the G-C scheme when traffic is able to cross the bridges. Its not looking far off completion now looking at those pics.

Steviemak

Once again great photos Furet. Much appreciated.

I think the progress made from Nov to Mar makes a mockery of the nonsense spouted by some with regards to the M7M8 scheme.

Really looking forward to this road being opened soon. It looks like once the tie in at the Fermoy end is done the rest of the road wil be in place.

Amtmann

I'm posting some photos of the southern half of the scheme today. These were taken quite close to junction 14 at Moorepark. As I mentioned above, the final surface has been laid along a good stretch of this; in fact, almost the entire southbound carriageway is finished asphalt-wise between exit 13 and 14. I would go as far as saying that up to 20% of the entire scheme has received its final surface already!

Final surface applied on the southbound carriageway. That's Junction 14 in the distance.


Looking north; final surface applied on southbound carriageway.


As above.


I photographed this structure before and put it up in post #1 of this thread. It's basically a large gorge crossing and was one of the first structures to be built. It's down the L-road directly opposite the R667 Kilworth village junction on the present N8. There's a small site compound here from which you can access the mainline if anyone's interested.


I will take more photographs of the mainline in a month's time, and will post pictures of the tie-in again two weeks from now.

1huge1

Davy wrote: »

Has to be the quickest road in the country. Some great pics their. Pity the limerick road doesn't have the same performance. thanks for the update furet

If only it was these guys building the Limerick road...

Irish and Proud

Furet wrote: »

I'm posting some photos of the southern half of the scheme today. These were taken quite close to junction 14 at Moorepark. As I mentioned above, the final surface has been laid along a good stretch of this; in fact, almost the entire southbound carriageway is finished asphalt-wise between exit 13 and 14. I would go as far as saying that up to 20% of the entire scheme has received its final surface already!

Final surface applied on the southbound carriageway. That's Junction 14 in the distance.

Great pics - excellent mate!!! :):)

In the above picture, the surface looks so smooth - much of the M1 is a little bumpy at 120kph - especially in Louth. Contracts might have been tightened up a bit in the last couple of years, if the above is anything to go by!

Regards!

Pisser Dignam

Irish and Proud wrote: »

In the above picture, the surface looks so smooth - much of the M1 is a little bumpy at 120kph - especially in Louth. Contracts might have been tightened up a bit in the last couple of years, if the above is anything to go by!

Drive the new M50 and see if you still feel that way.

Amtmann

Since the median was erected it's become possible to see the 'personality' of the route in greater detail. By this I mean the extent to which the mainline undulates. I've got to say that it has a fair amount of ups and downs and dips and rises. It's also quite a bendy route. In addition, it's got quite a narrow construction corridor, in the sense that the land-take has been minimal. This contrasts starkly with the many wasted acres along both sides of the C-M scheme. All in all, M-F is a tighter, tidier route.

Regarding smoothness, it's just too early to tell how even it'll be to drive. The undulations aren't necessarily a problem (think of the Glanmire Bypass); but build quality potentially is. However, from the sections I've walked, the route seems very smooth and even. There's a big difference though between walking a route and driving along it at 120 km/h. As I said, time will tell.

BluntGuy

Excellent updates Furet, thank you very much.

Fermoy Bypass tie-in seems to be taking shape very nicely indeed. I presume it's now just a matter of chunking out the remaining segment of extraneous bypass and linking the schemes together. I am confident that will be complete by April. I am also confident that next month we'll start to see the first signs erected.

Almost certainly at this point we're looking at a June opening, if not May.

I am starting to get concerned about the undulations and tight-looking curves though. They need to put reflectors on the central median otherwise it will be very difficult to drive it at night.

Amtmann

The bends are being exaggerated slightly by the zoom on my camera, but definitely, yes, reflectors will be needed. I think the build quality here will be inferior to that of the Cashel to Cullahill scheme, but superior to that of the Cashel to Mitchelstown project.

AugustusMaximus

Cheers again for the pictures Furet.

Should cut a few minutes off the Cork to Dublin run anyways. Not having to go through 5 roundabouts (or is it more) to bypass Mitchelstown will be a joy. Will provide Eirtoll wit a few more Euro's too as more people will prob use the toll instead of coming off the motorway.

I doubt the owners of Corbett's Court are going to like this though.

Amtmann

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Should cut a few minutes off the Cork to Dublin run anyways.

At least 11 minutes at all times I think.

Will provide Eirtoll wit a few more Euro's too as more people will prob use the toll instead of coming off the motorway.

Hopefully. As I've said, traffic volumes seem to have risen on the Fermoy Bypass over the past year anyway (yesterday it was the busiest I've ever seen it), but it might also make hauliers even less likely to use it - e.g. "we're saving 11 minutes anyway in travel time on the new scheme; now we definitely don't need to bother with the tolled bypass".

I doubt the owners of Corbett's Court are going to like this though.

That place is so badly located that I'd say most people never stop there for fear of being blown away in a horror smash when trying to exit after they've dined. He could draw a lot of new customers if he plays his cards right, and the numbers of local customers (i.e. people from Mitchelstown, Glanworth, Kilworth, Fermoy and Kilbehenny) could also rise. He'll have to improve his food a bit though! Wasn't overly enamoured with it the one time I did stop about a year ago. That said, I also stopped off at the Horse and Jockey restaurant one Sunday last January and I'll never eat there again.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

At least 11 minutes at all times I think.

Most definately.

With that, the old roundabout-laden N8 will become the N73. Although what's the betting they won't bother updating any of the signage?

Amtmann

I got an opening date this morning of either the 25th or 29th of May.

Tech3

Furet wrote: »

I got an opening date this morning of either the 25th or 29th of May.

Out of curiosity Furet is it ok to take pictures like you did walking on the new road? Are people allowed to walk on it one all the construction is over as there is no health and safety issues?

Rowley Birkin QC

Furet wrote: »

That place is so badly located that I'd say most people never stop there for fear of being blown away in a horror smash when trying to exit after they've dined. He could draw a lot of new customers if he plays his cards right, and the numbers of local customers (i.e. people from Mitchelstown, Glanworth, Kilworth, Fermoy and Kilbehenny) could also rise. He'll have to improve his food a bit though! Wasn't overly enamoured with it the one time I did stop about a year ago. That said, I also stopped off at the Horse and Jockey restaurant one Sunday last January and I'll never eat there again.

Try the Hunters Rest in Mitchelstown, not too shabby or expensive.

That right turn into the Corbett Court is a disaster alrite.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

I got an opening date this morning of either the 25th or 29th of May.

Where did you get this information from Furet? It's great news if it's true, but I'm just curious to know who would have access to this info.

25th of May is a Monday, so that seems likely.

I also wonder if they'll bother putting emergency telephones on the scheme.

Amtmann

tech2 wrote: »

Out of curiosity Furet is it ok to take pictures like you did walking on the new road? Are people allowed to walk on it one all the construction is over as there is no health and safety issues?

It's not okay to do it really - but lots of people walk, run and cycle on it every weekend regardless. I've met security on it the odd time and they didn't say a word to me.

BluntGuy: Roadbridge site offices. It's an unofficial target, but I think it's very likely to be met.

Irish and Proud

Pisser Dignam wrote: »

Drive the new M50 and see if you still feel that way.

...well the M50 Phase 1 is very poor indeed - especially the outer lanes. The M50 Northern Cross (well Northbound anyway) seems like a big improvement in comparison though. Was on the N2 Ashbourne Bypass recently and it's very smooth, apart from the very odd bump.

Regards!

Amtmann

The tie-in at Carrigane is complete now. The concrete median was fused perfectly with that of the C-M scheme yesterday.

Chris_533976

Cool, so just the Fermoy tie in, line painting and signs really to go now?

Amtmann

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Cool, so just the Fermoy tie in, line painting and signs really to go now?

Plus final surface application on about 75% of the route, which won't take long at all. Affirmative to the above!

BluntGuy

Excellent piece of news, and I suspect the Fermoy tie-in is soon to follow.

I suspect the signs will be flying up next mnth. Just a pity we won't have M8 all the way to Dunkettle by the time it's finished.

BrianJD

Hi Furet

Where do you get on the road to walk it?
Thanks

Amtmann

You can access it via junction 12 at Kilbehenny; you can park at Moorepark Teagasc office on a Sunday, walk across the N8 and walk down the sliproad at junction 14, or you can drive down the L road opposite the R667 junction for Kilworth village on the N8 and you'll come to a little site office from which you can easily access the mainline. Where else...take the Clonmel road from Mitchelstown town centre and you'll come to a new roundabout. Go straight through that and you'll see an access point 200m away on the left where you can park and easily enter the site. Plenty of people walk it at the weekend. Just have your wits about you in case there's a work vehicle on it. Sundays are best; no one works then.

L1011

Do the surfaced bits get used by parents teaching their kids how to cycle like I was taught on the M4 L/M/K scheme way back in the 90s still?

Ahh the memories...

BrianJD

Excellant

Sunday it is then, always looking for somewhere different for the dog!

Thanks