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TII Motorway Service Areas (MSA) Progress Thread

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,014 ✭✭✭tylercheribini


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Big spanking new vans.[/quote]

    Good chance its them so, they were court ordered from Gorey and Arklow in a matter days.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,532 ✭✭✭roadmaster


    marno21 wrote: »

    i went by a re branded circle K on Cabra road this morning and i have never seen such an ugly bland hoarding . They really are dower signage


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,702 ✭✭✭✭BoatMad


    so what is the situation with the MSA at Gorey now. I see zero activity


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,663 ✭✭✭serfboard


    marno21 wrote: »
    Progress on the controversial 24-hour motorway service stop along the M6 had been held up for over two years due to a legal challenge ...

    In April last year, that impasse ended when proceedings were withdrawn.
    ...

    In 2015, prior to the start of the legal dispute, TII, formerly the NRA, completed a new flyover bridge and slip roads at Fossagh, between Moate and Athlone, in preparation for the construction of the 24-hour service stop buildings.
    Thanks, Applegreen :mad:


  • Registered Users Posts: 444 ✭✭Ernest


    I recently had reason to drive from Dublin to Cork using our motorway system (M7&M8). On this journey, I did not find even one on-line motorway service area between Dublin and Cork. In contrast , the two motorways between Dublin and Belfast have five on-line motorway service areas when travelling north and four travelling south - all of them directly off the motorway and all excellent.

    The Dublin-Cork road has several of those brown signs with images of men, women, petrol pumps, knives and forks and even of beds but most of these signs just seem to point the unsuspecting motorist towards local towns where such facilities might indeed be found - eventually and not all in one place as would be the case with proper motorway service areas. (I found the same banditry in Spanish motorways - though not in France which has an abundance of proper motorway service areas ).

    Because I have been on these motorways previously, I happen to know that there is a place near Portlaoise where, if you leave the motorway, go up a ramp, round a roundabout, take a lane left and a sharp right you find a site which has toilets, restaurants, and a shop but if I was a tourist I would not have found this from any of the signage and anyway it's way off the motorway. Similarly, if you happen to know about it, there is a place near Cashel with a similar convoluted approach, way off the motorway.

    On the return Cork-Dublin leg of the journey, I spotted a brown sign which, if you leave the motorway, go up a ramp, go round a roundabout, go over a bridge and take a further roundabout, will lead you to Mayfield service area (I did not see any sign for this going south earlier).

    It really is disgraceful that, in 2018, on the main road between our largest two cites there no "proper" motorway service areas like there are between Dublin and Belfast.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,341 ✭✭✭D Trent


    Patww79 wrote: »
    Junction 3, 8, and 14 are the decent ones on the M8 for facilities and parking. But yeah the signage isn't great to distinguish from the ones taking you into the likes of Urlingford, etc.
    I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy..


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,373 ✭✭✭ezra_


    Ernest wrote: »
    I recently had reason to drive from Dublin to Cork using our motorway system (M7&M8). On this journey, I did not find even one on-line motorway service area between Dublin and Cork. In contrast , the two motorways between Dublin and Belfast have five on-line motorway service areas when travelling north and four travelling south - all of them directly off the motorway and all excellent.

    The Dublin-Cork road has several of those brown signs with images of men, women, petrol pumps, knives and forks and even of beds but most of these signs just seem to point the unsuspecting motorist towards local towns where such facilities might indeed be found - eventually and not all in one place as would be the case with proper motorway service areas. (I found the same banditry in Spanish motorways - though not in France which has an abundance of proper motorway service areas ).

    Because I have been on these motorways previously, I happen to know that there is a place near Portlaoise where, if you leave the motorway, go up a ramp, round a roundabout, take a lane left and a sharp right you find a site which has toilets, restaurants, and a shop but if I was a tourist I would not have found this from any of the signage and anyway it's way off the motorway. Similarly, if you happen to know about it, there is a place near Cashel with a similar convoluted approach, way off the motorway.

    On the return Cork-Dublin leg of the journey, I spotted a brown sign which, if you leave the motorway, go up a ramp, go round a roundabout, go over a bridge and take a further roundabout, will lead you to Mayfield service area (I did not see any sign for this going south earlier).

    It really is disgraceful that, in 2018, on the main road between our largest two cites there no "proper" motorway service areas like there are between Dublin and Belfast.

    I've done that road a few times recently.

    The Topaz places are decent.


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    There is a quality service area at Junction 14 on the Fermoy side, it's Amber and is 24 hours, it has quite a decent line up of food.

    It is a little close to Cork but is useful if your journey goes beyond Cork (a bit like the Birdhill MSA on the M7 which is close to Limerick but useful for Clare/Kerry/N Cork traffic).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,811 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    All that said, I still can't understand why the M1 has 2 online, M11 has 1 soon, M4 has one, M6/17 has one soon and M9 has one soon. But yet there isn't even one in planning for the entire Dublin - Cork corridor and I just can't see why.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,266 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Ernest wrote: »

    The Dublin-Cork road has several of those brown signs with images of men, women, petrol pumps, knives and forks and even of beds but most of these signs just seem to point the unsuspecting motorist towards local towns where such facilities might indeed be found

    Just a pedantic point, but no knives on the sign. The sign is a fork and spoon crossed.

    It is amazing how easy it is to see something that is not there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Patww79 wrote: »
    They're as good as online.

    Agreed. I wish there was a shock button one could press for those using the "as i already said" phrase.


  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,477 Mod ✭✭✭✭JupiterKid


    The situation with official online MSAs is a total farce. None on the M8 Dublin to Cork, three held up for years now.

    Yes, there are some decent offline services but they are not as good as online ones and the current situation just isn't good enough.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,811 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.


    No they aren't. They are off the motorway, some are poorly signed.


    The Cashel one is still far too small. The Manor Stone one is a garden center with a petrol station and a Supermacs attached and is still far too small. The Monasterevin one is the best but is also absolutely rammed.


    None of these are anything like as good as the online ones on the M1, for instance. Plenty of seating with showers, toilets, lots of parking etc. That said, they are being used so much they are beginning to look a touch rough around the edges.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Monasterevin station is never "rammed" when ive been by it. Parking never a problem. Queues are never an issue. And ive been by it during rush hours too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    :rolleyes: Mayfield so while we're being pedantic...


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    I was in J14 on a Friday afternoon a few weeks back and it was like a cattle mart. They could build another one across the M7 and it would turn a profit. It's often you go into the Barack Obama Plaza and it's equally jammed. It's no surprise Pat McDonagh is ploughing on with another Plaza type development at J17 on the M7 which would also cater for M8 (and N77) traffic. Of course, J17 already has the existing Midway service area.

    I still laugh when people say the Barack Obama Plaza wasn't viable. The way things are going there'll be an MSA at half the junctions on the motorway network and they'll all turn a profit.

    Given the prices charged in some of them added competition will be of great benefit to the motorist.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,341 ✭✭✭D Trent


    marno21 wrote: »
    I was in J14 on a Friday afternoon a few weeks back and it was like a cattle mart. .

    Is that because everyone was scutherin' from the Insomnia coffee ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,753 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    Midway is also getting Applegreen fuel soon but we're digressing from the online services discussion, which, admittedly was just moaning about the fact most services can be accessed from off the motorway as well.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19,369 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Any update on the M9 Kilcullen one? Must be a good three years since there was a big rush to build the junction for it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,532 ✭✭✭roadmaster


    D Trent wrote: »
    Is that because everyone was scutherin' from the Insomnia coffee ?

    Leave Insomnia alone at least its not as bad as that dirt costa call coffee!

    I wonder with these MSA'S in ten years are they going to have to have have major refits done in the car parks to allow for the electric car revolution when it does arrive.


  • Posts: 0 Jeremy Small Axe


    roadmaster wrote: »
    I wonder with these MSA'S in ten years are they going to have to have have major refits done in the car parks to allow for the electric car revolution when it does arrive.

    Any being built now should require the most basic infrastructure (wiring & access points) to be installed at this stage. Later on it won't be a big job to install the charge points.

    Even retrofitting won't be a massive job, cut a channel for the ducting, instal the charge points




  • road_high wrote: »
    Any update on the M9 Kilcullen one? Must be a good three years since there was a big rush to build the junction for it!

    Similar story to Gorey, contracts need to be agreed upon, signed and work started. Slow. Slooowwwwww


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,532 ✭✭✭roadmaster


    Any being built now should require the most basic infrastructure (wiring & access points) to be installed at this stage. Later on it won't be a big job to install the charge points.

    Even retrofitting won't be a massive job, cut a channel for the ducting, instal the charge points

    I suppose as well the battery technology in cars will be alot better in the future and people will not need to charge as much


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