M7/M8 Portlaoise-Castletown-Cullahill Motorway (incl. Abbeyleix Bypass)

Irish and Proud · 16-02-2010 1:37am

Danno wrote: »

The old N8 will become the N77 after the new M7/M8 opens.

There is a frame up for signage on the M8 (gantry) over the R433 between Rathdowney and Ballacolla.

I've a feeling that they will route the N77 towards Rathdowney Interchange, and that the old N8 (via Abbeyleix) will just become the R639! That said, the then R639 (Portlaoise to Urlingford) will have to be maintained as an alternative route to the M7/M8 Toll.

Regards!

Irish and Proud · 16-02-2010 1:42am

Roryhy wrote: »

Heres the pic from google maps. I put in the red circle obviously.

Looks like the engineers screwed up! :mad:

Regars!

mysterious · 16-02-2010 3:15am

Its a screw up no doubt. But the N8 isn't a motorway and the free left flowing slips doesnt make much odds if it were there or not, it still has to merge with a narrow 2 lane road!

Traffic doesnt go fast there anyway. It could of been planned out better, but heck this roundabout is going to be downgraded into a R class road anyhow.

mysterious · 16-02-2010 3:21am

i would of prefereed if the N77 was routed to Aghaboe where the interhchanges were meant to be built just after the M7/M8 slip. This would allow People from the West and Limerick region to go straight to kIlkenny and the SE this way. Not only that but it would relieve pressue for the N24 for the time being.

NRA can't plan thigns like I do. Meh.

nordydan · 16-02-2010 11:11am

Given that J2 has been scrapped, would it not have made sense to leave the existing tie in at Cullahill in place, and modified it to being a S/B LILO?

Minimal cost and would help those heading S/B from Abbeyleix/Durrow/Cullahill to Cork and traffic from Dublin to the same area. Just a thought...

roosterman71 · 16-02-2010 4:44pm

mysterious wrote: »

i would of prefereed if the N77 was routed to Aghaboe where the interhchanges were meant to be built just after the M7/M8 slip. This would allow People from the West and Limerick region to go straight to kIlkenny and the SE this way. Not only that but it would relieve pressue for the N24 for the time being.

NRA can't plan thigns like I do. Meh.

Was it not already discussed on here as to why extending the N77 that distance was a pointless idea?

Amtmann · 16-02-2010 4:46pm

Are any sections of the M7/M8 scheme lined yet?

Rovi · 16-02-2010 6:24pm

Furet wrote: »

Are any sections of the M7/M8 scheme lined yet?

Not up at the eastern end anyway.

Danno · 17-02-2010 3:12am

mysterious wrote: »

i would of prefereed if the N77 was routed to Aghaboe where the interhchanges were meant to be built just after the M7/M8 slip. This would allow People from the West and Limerick region to go straight to kIlkenny and the SE this way. Not only that but it would relieve pressue for the N24 for the time being.

NRA can't plan thigns like I do. Meh.

According to this http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf the old N8 becomes the N77 from Portlaoise to Durrow while the R639 is extended from Johnstown to Durrow.

Makes sense too if they (NRA) want to establish a 100km/h route from Waterford to Derry in the long run.

M9/N77/N80/etc...

Irish and Proud · 17-02-2010 2:22pm

mysterious wrote: »

Its a screw up no doubt. But the N8 isn't a motorway and the free left flowing slips doesnt make much odds if it were there or not, it still has to merge with a narrow 2 lane road!

Traffic doesnt go fast there anyway. It could of been planned out better, but heck this roundabout is going to be downgraded into a R class road anyhow.

...yeah, coming to that conclusion alright - having seen the amount of work required to get that slip open, it's really not worth it now. If traffic on the westbound off-ramp gets busy again, they should just continue the second lane up to the roundabout and eliminate the slip altogether.

Regards!

marmurr1916 · 17-02-2010 4:03pm

Danno wrote: »

According to this http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf the old N8 becomes the N77 from Portlaoise to Durrow while the R639 is extended from Johnstown to Durrow.

That's good to know.

It'll also mean that the R639 will be one of the longest regional roads in the country, running from the outskirts of Cork city (the Glanmire roundabout) to Durrow.

Danno wrote: »

Makes sense too if they (NRA) want to establish a 100km/h route from Waterford to Derry in the long run.

M9/N77/N80/etc...

Once the M9 is complete (and the M8 too) there'll be a reasonably good quality route from Waterford all the way to Mullingar.

The route will be M9/N10/N77/N80/N52/M6/N52.

Sections that need to be upgraded are the N77 between Kilkenny and Durrow and the N80 between Portlaoise and the Laois/Offaly boundary.

Danno · 19-02-2010 2:37am

The M8 bridge over the R433 last Friday 12th February 2010.

Rovi · 25-02-2010 6:40pm

The company that will be operating the toll plaza and maintaining the project have launched their website, and are recruiting:
http://www.midlink.ie

Amtmann · 25-02-2010 7:11pm

The recruitment process is being planned for March and April with training for successful applicants taking place in May consistent with the opening of the Project Road. Further updates on the completion of the Project Road will be posted on this website throughout the early part of the year

Interesting. Quite a bad website though. The map that they link to is the old NRA map which shows junctions that won't be built. It's a bit embarrassing for Midlink to think that they don't even seem to know the number of junctions their motorway will have.

Also, credit cards will be accepted at the toll plaza, but not Laser cards.

emfifty · 25-02-2010 11:27pm

Furet wrote: »

Interesting. Quite a bad website though. The map that they link to is the old NRA map which shows junctions that won't be built. It's a bit embarrassing for Midlink to think that they don't even seem to know the number of junctions their motorway will have.

Also, credit cards will be accepted at the toll plaza, but not Laser cards.

Visa debit cards will be accepted though. they are the way to go.....the laser card days are numbered!:)

nordydan · 26-02-2010 2:44pm

emfifty wrote: »

Visa debit cards will be accepted though. they are the way to go.....the laser card days are numbered!:)

They are, I have a northern Visa Debit but it is not available in the south as there is a cartel in operation (I work for one of the banks involved). No Visa Debit and no Visa Electron!!!

Zoney · 26-02-2010 5:58pm

I know this is going a bit off-topic, but Ulster Bank are switching their southern customers from Laser to Visa Debit as we speak - many UB customers down here already have Visa Debit now. Indeed it caused some problems at Lidl/Aldi early last summer going by online discussion.

Still doesn't make a lot of sense not to have Laser as an option for paying the toll - most people are with AIB/BoI and as far as I know, they have no plans to phase out Laser despite UB's withdrawal from it.

nordydan · 26-02-2010 6:01pm

Zoney wrote: »

I know this is going a bit off-topic, but Ulster Bank are switching their southern customers from Laser to Visa Debit as we speak - many UB customers down here already have Visa Debit now. Indeed it caused some problems at Lidl/Aldi early last summer going by online discussion.

Still doesn't make a lot of sense not to have Laser as an option for paying the toll - most people are with AIB/BoI and as far as I know, they have no plans to phase out Laser despite UB's withdrawal from it.

AFAIK Laser is to be replaced with Maestro (ie a properly functioning maestro not the mess that currently exists when you take e.g. your AIB Laser/Maestro card abroad). Sorry for going off topic but its relevant to this tolled scheme

emfifty · 26-02-2010 6:32pm

i have one of those aformentioned ulster bank visa debit cards and i will be using mine on the m7! damn laser cards are useless abroad so boi, aib et al need to get the finger out!

L1011 · 26-02-2010 6:42pm

emfifty wrote: »

i have one of those aformentioned ulster bank visa debit cards and i will be using mine on the m7! damn laser cards are useless abroad so boi, aib et al need to get the finger out!

Laser cards *do* work abroad, just atrociously patchily. I've used a BOI one in an Esso in the UK and a (I can't remember) station in Belgium, and I've been with a mate using one an AIB one in Boots in the UK but I've had mine go boing in Little Chef and Premier Inn and seen his go boing in a Henleys shop

Appears to be down to the merchants own bank what they want to do!

Stark · 26-02-2010 8:35pm

Is your Laser card a combined Laser/Maestro card?

Maestro tends to go bong in the UK as their Maestro system descended from Switch and a lot of their tills haven't been properly upgraded to support all variants of Maestro, not just Switch-derived variants.

CrowdedHouse · 28-02-2010 12:10pm

Yesterday - M7 (southbound)at the Mounthrath end you have to go down a slip road,through a roundabout and another new bit of road to get back on the N7 again.The old slip road up is closed

lukejr · 28-02-2010 5:49pm

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Yesterday - M7 (southbound)at the Mounthrath end you have to go down a slip road,through a roundabout and another new bit of road to get back on the N7 again.The old slip road up is closed

Great news, thanks for the update, the tie-in with the new M7 is beginning so, won't be long now.

North Cork · 28-02-2010 9:08pm

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=109150

Traffic Alertclick icon to view map

Laois - Southbound traffic on the M7 at Clonkeen is being diverted onto the Portlaoise Link Rd (R445) until April [URL="javascript:newWindow('../popmap/map.asp?x=242288&y=195702&id=109150&zoomlevel=5')"]

[/URL]

Updated: 28/02/2010 14:48:42Expect delays as motorists will have to queue on approach to the new layout. Motorists will rejoin the N7 just after Clonkeen and traffic will be reduced to one lane until the end of the Portlaoise Bypass. A reduced speed limit of 60kmph will be in operation. This is for tie-in works on the existing M7.

fresca · 02-03-2010 11:34am

Is this M7 tie-in the last major piece of this project?
If works will continue until April ... are we looking at a May opening?

fresca · 02-03-2010 11:36am

fresca wrote: »

Is this M7 tie-in the last major piece of this project?
If works will continue until April ... are we looking at a May opening?

and just to refresh memories... here's the map from the CRG site...
http://www.crg.ie/image/portlaoise.pdf

Anyone got any update on how the new M7 tie-in at the Borris-in-Ossory end is going?

Amtmann · 02-03-2010 11:43am

fresca wrote: »

Is this M7 tie-in the last major piece of this project?
If works will continue until April ... are we looking at a May opening?

I'd say late May or sometime in June for sure.

popebenny16 · 02-03-2010 11:47am

fresca wrote: »

and just to refresh memories... here's the map from the CRG site...
http://www.crg.ie/image/portlaoise.pdf

Anyone got any update on how the new M7 tie-in at the Borris-in-Ossory end is going?

drove over the link road late last year, seemed almost ready to go then

El_Duderino 09 · 02-03-2010 11:58am

I was chatting to one of the bucks a few weeks ago and he said the sliproad outside portlaois should open before St Patricks day, which has come to pass and the mainline should open around mid May. Thats just the Portlaois - Borris in Ossory section.

I cant stand over that information but hes probably not far out.

munchkin_utd · 02-03-2010 12:11pm

its possibly somewhere earlier on the 40 pages of this thread, but why is this section opening pretty much after the rest of the entire Cork and Limerick Motorways?

With it being a toll road was it not in the interest of the people getting the tolls to have this up and running long ago?

M7/M8 Portlaoise-Castletown-Cullahill Motorway (incl. Abbeyleix Bypass)

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