The Road Scheme Commemorative Plaque Thread

Amtmann

Here is a thread for road and rail enthusiasts to post photos of the commemorative plaques almost always installed on new infrastructural projects.

I'll start off.


The N24 Clonmel Relief Road:


The first Cahir Bypass:


The N25 Kilmacthomas Realignment:


The N25 Killongford Realignment:


N8 Watergrasshill Bypass:


N8 Glanmire Bypass:




Click Here for the Jack Lynch Tunnel

road_high

Great idea for a thread .

Clonmel one is 10 years old now. It's very obsolete at this stage too. Nothing but stupid roundabouts.

L1011

I'll grab a photo of the M4 Leixlip/Kilcock/Maynooth one in the next few days - its located nearly a mile from the scheme on Maynooth main street!

The ones on the two open M6 schemes are in the laybys; one of which is still marked as open but the other of which is marked as Garda only...

Amtmann

I noticed those on the M6 a few weeks ago while passing it. Maybe yourself or KevR or one of the other sixers could pull in some day and photograph them?

KevR

Which laybys are they in (i.e - between which junctions)?

Not sure when I'll next be passing them but when I am I'll try to remember to bring my camera.

Typewriter

Dargan Bridge, Dundrum. (Luas green line)



Seamus Brennan can feck off.

Amtmann

KevR wrote: »

Which laybys are they in (i.e - between which junctions)?

Not sure when I'll next be passing them but when I am I'll try to remember to bring my camera.

Not sure of exact laybys, but they're in the large parking areas/"garda only" bays. They're quite noticable; I saw them as I was going by at 120km/h. Generally on your left hand side as you travel westbound.

L1011

M4 Leixlip/Maynooth/Kilcock bypass. I think the official opening date and the actual date the bypass opened are very, very far off reality - this plaque is down on the main street at the end of the Straffan Road which was widened from the M4 right down to the village during & after the bypass works so it might be from then.

Chris_533976

LMAO what does the Kilmacthomas one need a plaque for All that was was the widening of a narrow S2 into a slightly less narrow S2 and the digging out of some verges

Amtmann

Have to disagree with you there Chris. It's a smashing section of very wide single carriageway, quite long with a fair bit of realignment from what I saw of it yesterday. If all of the N25 was like that between Midleton and Waterford, it would be perfectly adequate.

Carawaystick

yeah, the Kilmacthomas bypass is probably the best engineered S2 road in the country. there are no right turns while going Corkbound. I actually got confused driving there at night when a sign for the Comeraghs pointed left....
I don't think there are any right turns going the other way either, they are all grade separated.
It's a completely new alignment most of the way.

norrie_1001

Where is Killongford on the N25?

Amtmann

L1011

Furet wrote: »

Not sure of exact laybys, but they're in the large parking areas/"garda only" bays. They're quite noticable; I saw them as I was going by at 120km/h. Generally on your left hand side as you travel westbound.

They're in the laybys between J4 and J5 and between J6 and J7; I passed today but was in a hurry with failing light so couldn't get the photos myself.

csd

Phase 2 was Red Cow to Tallaght.

Amtmann

Chris_533976

Looks like someones shot it.

Amtmann

It does. It also looks like Martin Cullen's grave (which was shot).

L1011

I've driven the M6 westbound three times in the past two weeks and never remembered to try and get the plaques; if its dry tomorrow (when I'm doing it AGAIN) I'll try to.

mobius42

Furet wrote: »

My Dad made that one. Someone vandalised it with something like a hammer, but they're not bothering to repair it.

For those of you interested in these things, there'll be a new plaque going up for the Mitchelstown to Fermoy section of the M8 sometime between now and Friday. That road's opening next week, I think.

Amtmann

mobius42 wrote: »

My Dad made that one. Someone vandalised it with something like a hammer, but they're not bothering to repair it.

For those of you interested in these things, there'll be a new plaque going up for the Mitchelstown to Fermoy section of the M8 sometime between now and Friday. That road's opening next week, I think.

I am interested! Do you know where it will be located? Also, mobius, do you know where the plaque for the Cashel-Mitchelstown and Cashel to Cullahill schemes are positioned?

mobius42

I don't, but I can find out for you. I'll ask my father tonight.

Amtmann

mobius42 wrote: »

I don't, but I can find out for you. I'll ask my father tonight.

Cheers.

mobius42

Furet, the council haven't decided where the plaques for Cashel-Culahill and Fermoy-Mitchelstown will be going yet. As for the Cashel-Mitchelstown one, he doesn't think they even put it up. If they did, they didn't tell him where they put it!:(

Amtmann

That figures! I suspect it (the M-F) will go in close to junction 13. Does your Dad do all the plaques for the NRA, mobius?

Amtmann

Actually mobius, can you ask your Dad what opening date he's been asked to engrave on the plaque for Mitchelstown - Fermoy, and who's doing the opening?

mobius42

He doesn't do all of them, just the ones in the Munster area.

The opening date is the 25th of May and Noel Dempsey will be doing the opening.

Amtmann

mobius42 wrote: »

He doesn't do all of them, just the ones in the Munster area.

The opening date is the 25th of May and Noel Dempsey will be doing the opening.

Again, thanks. I was 99.9% certain it was 25 May alright; I just wanted to be 100%.

Your Dad did a great job on the Cashel to Cullahill plaque - I just wish they'd install it.

What's the process, mobius? Is it the local authority that commissions the plaques, or the NRA? They presumably contact the stone mason just a few weeks before the opening; or do they basically commission it well in advance and supply the text then?

mobius42

It's the local authorities that commission them and they contact him about a month in advance. They send him a picture of what they want on it. He usually waits as long as possible before putting it on, as they come back several times with changes. Things like fadas, titles and Irish spellings. It's a bit ridiculous really.

Amtmann

I find it amazing that any of this occurs to anyone in a County Council to be honest. When I called the Cork Co Co's Roads Section there two weeks ago, the receptionist didn't know where the M8 was.

Amtmann

spacetweek

Furet wrote: »

Timely. And before the yoke even opens! I'm impressed!

spacetweek

I'm wondering if people reading this thread can help. I have a site on Irish road and motorway development but it's sometimes hard to get detailed info on older schemes, particularly the opening date.

Does anyone have access to the plaques for the following schemes. I only have the year but I need the exact date:

M7 Naas Bypass 1983 (oldest in the country)
M1 Whitehall-Airport 1985
N11 Newtownmountkennedy BP 1990
N4 Mullingar Bypass 1994
M1 Balbriggan Bypass 1998
N4 Sligo-Collooney 1998

L1011

This being brought up again reminds me I've still not got the N6 ones. I'll try tomorrow, really...

Also have found the locations of four more - two are going to need to be done early on a weekend morning to avoid being killed or the boys in blue stopping me and two will need me to park up somewhere and walk to it. M7 Portlaoise, M1 Airport-Balbriggan, N4 Palmerstown BP and the Belgard Road.

Tech3

I spotted the Ennis bypass plaque a few days ago while driving the N18, will post it up when Im covering the G-C scheme in the next week or two.

L1011

spacetweek wrote: »

I'm wondering if people reading this thread can help. I have a site on Irish road and motorway development but it's sometimes hard to get detailed info on older schemes, particularly the opening date.

Does anyone have access to the plaques for the following schemes. I only have the year but I need the exact date:

M7 Naas Bypass 1983 (oldest in the country)
M1 Whitehall-Airport 1985
N11 Newtownmountkennedy BP 1990
N4 Mullingar Bypass 1994
M1 Balbriggan Bypass 1998
N4 Sligo-Collooney 1998

This was built in two stages, Whitehall/Santry Bypass and Santry Bypass-Airport; the plaque for stage 1 is just beyond the first overpass on what is now the N1 after the tunnel was built. Dunno of the one for the second one, sorry.

KevR

N18/N19 plaque near Shannon Airport:

Click thumbnail for full size image.

A bit overgrown. If I wasn't wearing shorts at the time I would have stamped down some of the nettles before taking the picture..

Amtmann

Thanks Kev. Nice uploads to wikipedia by the way.

Chris_533976

That N19 one is quite nice. A little different anyway.

TBH a lot of them look like gravestones.

Edit: Although a gravestone with "Transport 21" written on it is quite apt

mobius42

Chris_533976 wrote: »

That N19 one is quite nice. A little different anyway.

TBH a lot of them look like gravestones.

Edit: Although a gravestone with "Transport 21" written on it is quite apt

Honestly, most of them are headstones!:)

L1011

Is the N19 one the only one fully in Irish around?

Saw the Carlow Bypass one today and also blasted past a plaque on a bridge which I could read "carlow county council" on - I think its for the 1980s S2 Leighlinbridge Bypass. Need to actually pass these when I'm not at work in a tracker'ed van!

Tech3

MYOB wrote: »

Is the N19 one the only one fully in Irish around?

The Ennis bypass has English on one plaque and Irish on another plaque beside it. Its got the usual big transport 21 sign on it aswell.

L1011

Got one today, N11 Arklow Bypass.



I never realised it was done that long ago!

Tech3

Judgement Day

Is there a point to this thread? I have come across train spotters, bird twitchers but bypass plaque enthusiasts - I mean come on lads! Most of these plaques bearing the names of political 'has-beens'/'never weres' are not even of scrap value. I hope the ethnic community get around to recycling the bronze ones so that at least somebody will gain from this waste of public money.

Amtmann

I started the thread in order to enable those of us with an interest in road history to put a date on various scheme openings.
That is the purpose (at least for me, anyway).

spacetweek

Judgement Day wrote: »

Is there a point to this thread? I have come across train spotters, bird twitchers but bypass plaque enthusiasts - I mean come on lads! Most of these plaques bearing the names of political 'has-beens'/'never weres' are not even of scrap value. I hope the ethnic community get around to recycling the bronze ones so that at least somebody will gain from this waste of public money.

Don't pay any attention to the politicians. We're all aware of what the gov is like. This is about historical records - the plaque is the most reliable source of info on the opening date of a road, as other sources are often wrong or unobtainable.

spacetweek

MYOB wrote: »

This was built in two stages, Whitehall/Santry Bypass and Santry Bypass-Airport; the plaque for stage 1 is just beyond the first overpass on what is now the N1 after the tunnel was built. Dunno of the one for the second one, sorry.

Thanks; I actually knew that, but don't have full info.

I believe from reading forums that the sequence was:
1982 Whitehall-Santry. Open to traffic, but no motorway restrictions.
1985 Santry-Airport opened; motorway restrictions applied to whole lot.

I presume the original plaque, if one existed, has been moved now with the Port Tunnel works. Anyone know?

L1011

I didn't get to see the date (or even much of the inscription) on the plaque that I saw, but its sited along what was the original Whitehall section so could be the original one. Theres the single overbridge south of the tunnel and its under it, northbound side.

L1011

One for one of our shorter lifespan projects:



14 years before it itself gets bypassed.

L1011

Rake of them for you today! Nice sunny day with no time pressure and clear h/s near all of them... and I got *one* of the M6 ones you wanted Furet! Didn't pass the other unfortunately