Getting to Citywest for TopGear on Sunday morning from Cork - crazy driving?

tcdb

Hey, Trying to bring my two boys up to Top Gear Festival in Citywest for the 12 show on Sunday from Cork (driving) but of course Mother Nature throws a curve ball (along with anyone else with any power in this country) and brings forward the coldest November in 17 years. Forgive me for being sceptical but what are the chances the Cork Dublin road and out to Saggart will be in any way passable with -6 degress forecasted (probably have to leave at 7am Sunday morning from Cork to get up there)? If things get really cold and freezes up, will it even go ahead if no one can get out there? Ideas of experience of those roads on cold days appreciated!

Amtmann

Motorway the entire way should be gritted and/or salted. Should be fine, but be careful.

tcdb

Thanks Furet! I admire your faith in the brave gritters in this country to be up all night gritting the entire road network from Cork to Dublin! Getting kinda sceptical these days myself though - How much is OT for gritters these days - does anyone have money to pay them! ;-)

liger

and will they have enough salt/grit this year???

Amtmann

tcdb wrote: »

Thanks Furet! I admire your faith in the brave gritters in this country to be up all night gritting the entire road network from Cork to Dublin! Getting kinda sceptical these days myself though - How much is OT for gritters these days - does anyone have money to pay them! ;-)

There would be gritting teams active within Cork County, South Tipperary, North Tipperary, Laois, and Kildare. They'd probably apply the grit/salt from 6pm onwards.

foggy_lad

You could try leaving a bit earlier which will allow you to keep your speed down more, and remember to look even further ahead than normal for dangers when driving in cold/icy conditions. Check your tyre pressures and fill the windscreen washer bottle and also clean your lights front and rear. Dont drive with Fog lights on unless in heavy fog.

tcdb

Thanks all - this festival had better be worth it (or more to the point, they better show up if it's cold (although I suppose they did make it to the North Pole in a jeep, they'll surely make it out to Saggart!)...

Mr Magners

The roads will be well salted, the motorway crews seem to be very effective at getting the job done.

If it does turn out to be as bad as they're saying would you consider the train?

tcdb

Thanks Mr Magners, although I'd sooner drive myself if the conditions aren't great than trying to make my way from Connolly/Hueston station back out to the CityWest by bus or taxi, whatever. As the guys are saying, the motorway will probably be well salted so proably my best bet. By the way all, what's the road like once you leave the motorway and head for Saggart to the citywest hotel? Are they main roads as well (never been out to Citywest)?

MYSTICA1

CityWest Hotel is just off the N7 Naas Dual Carriageway which is the road you will be arriving on .. As soon as you get on the M8 it is Motorway / Dual carriageway all the way to Rathcoole then it's about a minute up the road ..

Mr Magners

tcdb wrote: »

Thanks Mr Magners, although I'd sooner drive myself if the conditions aren't great than trying to make my way from Connolly/Hueston station back out to the CityWest by bus or taxi, whatever. As the guys are saying, the motorway will probably be well salted so proably my best bet. By the way all, what's the road like once you leave the motorway and head for Saggart to the citywest hotel? Are they main roads as well (never been out to Citywest)?

Motorway pretty much all the way. You don't need to go anywhere near Dublin city, you'll pass signs for Top Gear Fest on the road, they're the roadworks digital signs. Easy peasy to find it.

Amtmann

I've just heard that the M8 from junction 4 and all the way to Dublin on the M7 is jammers and that driving conditions are very poor. Sorry OP

Chris_5339762

AA reporting that part of the M9 is closed. Surely keeping the motorways open is sort of, well, important?

Cos everyone will just use the old N9 now, which would be much worse.

Edit: They were also reporting bad conditions on the M50, come on now thats inexcusable. Get the plough and the salt out.

ardmacha

AA reporting that part of the M9 is closed. Surely keeping the motorways open is sort of, well, important?

Probably they haven't added the M9 to their gritting schedule, as they didn't have to do it last year.

But they should have a plan for motorways and major roads of all sorts. That said low temperatures as such are not really the problem, especially mickey mouse lows like -6c. Worse is thaw followed by frost which leads to this ice.