TII Motorway Service Areas (MSA) Progress Thread

Pete_Cavan

Are journey times on our motorways through the Midlands, away from the major urban centres likely to change that much that they need to be provided on VMS?

Sam Russell

I would of thought VMS displays are for warning of trouble ahead such as accidents, weather and the like.

Using it for time is a good purpose when it is not needed for the above is OK.

ongarboy

BowWow wrote: »

You could also get an old trailer/container, paint it up with your brand name (say oh, something like Supermacs), then put it in a field beside the motorway well in advance of a service area.
Oh wait..

Interesting that the most professionally designed and aesthetically pleasing advertising totem signs are nearly always turned down by the planners as "injuring the visual amenity" yet those godawful, old abandoned truck containers leaning at a crooked angle on a hilly terrain can be plonked in any field across the country with fading and peeling garish adverts and no planning whatsoever is required....

silver2020

ongarboy wrote: »

Interesting that the most professionally designed and aesthetically pleasing advertising totem signs are nearly always turned down by the planners as "injuring the visual amenity" yet those godawful, old abandoned truck containers leaning at a crooked angle on a hilly terrain can be plonked in any field across the country with fading and peeling garish adverts and no planning whatsoever is required....

there was a campaign to get rid of them a few years ago and many were taken away.

Some have been in situ for so long without intervention that they probably are exempt from planning at this stage.

jd

We were coming back from Belfast earlier this year in the early hours of the morning and stopped at Castlebellingham service area to use the rest room.

However there was no access to a rest room, you could use the petrol pumps if you had a card. Would this be a breach of the SLA with TII for operating an online service station on a motorway?

Norteño

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142947#Comment_121142947

There's toilets at the side for truckers. Open 24/7.

Use those.

jd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121144021#Comment_121144021

Didn't see them or the signs for them at 2 am :(

Norteño

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121144047#Comment_121144047

No, they're a bit hidden, to be fair. They have them at Lusk, too.

Hotblack Desiato

"rest room" ffs, what a crazy Americanism. Toilet.

Chris_5339762

This is actually good to know, as despite going up/down that direction for years I never knew about the outside toilets.

That said I am a man so I'll just slash wherever, but an actual toilet is good to have.

Norteño

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149252#Comment_121149252

Couldn't agree more. 😂

jd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121149252#Comment_121149252

Ouch! Lived there for a while

Alkers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142947#Comment_121142947

Was the building not operating via the hatch to allow for cash sales?

roadmaster

I am surprised TII are allowing HGVs to still use the Laybys on the Motorway network and only stop Private Cars as I believe the work crews who clean up the Laybys have a major issue with what HGV drivers are leaving behind!

https://www.irishtimes.com/transport/2023/11/14/no-parking-for-cars-on-motorway-lay-bys-from-end-of-year

Hotblack Desiato

Those lay-bys were a very ill-thought out idea from the get-go.

Always seem to be on a slight right hand bend, too... guess where anyone who falls asleep at the wheel is going to end up?

medoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121367684#Comment_121367684

Yea a lot of them were very poorly planned and sited for the HQDC roads but they should have been closed up the second motorway regulations were applied. It makes a mockery of those regulations.

road_high

I find these useful and I often pull in for a short break or phone call/text. If used correctly there’s no issue but one of the biggest problems I’d think is litter and dumping of rubbish. Not all stretches have motorway services yet