M1 to Newry - completion date?

MDTyKe · 25-07-2007 2:04pm

Mayo Exile wrote:

Here it is. Also says Aug 15th, not the 17th. Can't see them enforcing a lower limit for 13 days from the opening date of the 2nd.

http://www.louthcoco.ie/downloads/Byelaws/NationalRoadsSpecialSpeedLimitByeLaws2007.pdf

Agreed. I think the signs will probably say 120 too, as opposed to 100, then 120 two weeks later!

However, I will add. As great as it is 120, I just hope this isn't their way around not upgrading it to an M road. Even though it's not much of a difference, it is key economically and gives a better impression for the border region. Just depends whether the 'alternative route' is accepted as being alternative or not though. Not sure what NI's stance will be.. though if the South upgrades to motorway, under UK law, I think if the road only leads to a motorway, it will be 'upgraded' to the A1(M) for a part at least.

Matt

MrPudding · 25-07-2007 2:54pm

ardmacha wrote:

The only traffic not allowed to use motorways is tractors and the like.

Am I missing something here. What about learners? Motorbikes under 125cc?

Also, as someone pointed out, people that don't want to use the motorway or perhaps don't want to pay a toll.

MrP

Stark · 25-07-2007 3:07pm

MrPudding wrote:

Also, as someone pointed out, people that don't want to use the motorway or perhaps don't want to pay a toll.

MrP

You don't have to stick a toll on a road to make it a motorway. The M7 is a motorway and that doesn't have a toll. (well not until the M7/M8 spur is completed).

MrPudding · 25-07-2007 3:12pm

Stark wrote:

You don't have to stick a toll on a road to make it a motorway. The M7 is a motorway and that doesn't have a toll. (well not until the M7/M8 spur is completed).

The M1 already has a toll.

MrP

MDTyKe · 25-07-2007 3:16pm

Well, there 'is' an alternative route. You can see it on Google Maps. However, whether it's considered 'alternative' or not, begs a question. I would hope it would. Although not ideal, it still is alternative. I'd just like to see the M number the whole way up.

Matt

ucdperson · 25-07-2007 6:40pm

Am I missing something here. What about learners? Motorbikes under 125cc?

Also, as someone pointed out, people that don't want to use the motorway or perhaps don't want to pay a toll.

Learners can learn somewhere else. There is no toll payable for the section in question. Motorbikes under 125cc is an issue, but it should not be difficult to build a modest ordinary road alongside to cater for these.

Mayo Exile · 27-07-2007 8:54am

Road works at Feede again today from 8am to midday and 7pm to 10pm. Must be doing work on the junction there, finishing off the slip roads, applying markings, signage etc. Details on AA Roadwatch website. 6 days until official opening.

Mayo Exile · 31-07-2007 11:41am

Piece on page 2 of yesterday's Irish Times (Mon July 30th) that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern will open the scheme on Thursday next. As well as being the local TD, I suppose its symbolic that he is doing the job instead of Minister for Transport Dempsey as its the first cross border scheme to open on the island. I'm guessing the top brass from the NI devolved government will be there too and possibly the NI Secretary of State. I wonder where on the road the actual opening will be? Maybe right on the border itself?

Happy Bertie · 31-07-2007 1:27pm

Mayo Exile wrote:

Piece on page 2 of yesterday's Irish Times (Mon July 30th) that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern will open the scheme on Thursday next.

I thought is was going to be this Thursday (Aug 2nd). What source mentioned it being next Thursday (Aug 9th)?

Stark · 31-07-2007 1:31pm

I think he means next Thursday as in this Thursday.

Happy Bertie · 31-07-2007 1:55pm

Stark wrote:

I think he means next Thursday as in this Thursday.

Thanks Stark.

This article illustrates the confusion "this" and "next" causes, especially between International and North American English.

What I gather is Americans will say "this Thursday" to mean "next Thursday" internationally. In the U.S. "next Thursday" would mean Aug 9th, note this next time "ye're" talking to a North American.:)

spacetweek · 31-07-2007 3:10pm

Happy Bertie wrote:

Thanks Stark.

This article illustrates the confusion "this" and "next" causes, especially between International and North American English.

What I gather is Americans will say "this Thursday" to mean "next Thursday" internationally. In the U.S. "next Thursday" would mean Aug 9th, note this next time "ye're" talking to a North American.:)

< OT > The convention in this regard actually appears to vary even within Ireland. E.G. I know several people who use American usage in this context, but I don't. Until recently I did not even realise there was any other way of doing it.
< /OT >

Mayo Exile · 31-07-2007 4:36pm

Originally posted by Stark: I think he means next Thursday as in this Thursday.

Apologies for the confusion caused by sentence structure! It's this Thursday, August 2nd.;)

RadioCity · 01-08-2007 7:18pm

A bit in today's Belfast Telegraph about the new section of road opening:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2823566.ece

Interesting info about the price of land.

Mayo Exile · 02-08-2007 8:54am

Scheme officially opens today! Ceremony takes place around midday. Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern will open it along with NI Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy.

However RTE causes some last minute confusion though, with Tommy Gorman's report on the RTE radio this morning saying that the section from Dundalk to the border was opening today while the other piece from the border to Newry opening in a few months time. Also says the same on RTE's news website: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0802/motorway.html

However AA Roadwatch came on straight after the news saying the whole scheme would open today! Also piece on BBC NI news website says entire scheme opens today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6926783.stm

Mayo Exile · 02-08-2007 11:35am

Looking at the BBC's map of the scheme there is now an offramp at Flurry Bridge as well as the onramp on the southbound DC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/uk_enl_1186001501/html/1.stm

This is to access the Carrickdale Hotel complex it seems. Its not on the original NRA Map:
http://www.nra.ie/News/DownloadableDocumentation/file,1157,en.PDF

Also on page 10 of this weeks Dundalk Argus (1 August) there is an ad on behalf of the Carrickdale Hotel with a map highlighting this.

wwhyte · 02-08-2007 12:11pm

I'll be driving this tomorrow so I can see which of the various news stories are true... I'll post a report.

Mayo Exile · 02-08-2007 1:28pm

Road now open but RTE still saying only open to the border:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0802/motorway.html

while AA Roadwatch in its National Summary Report and Traffic Alerts sections is saying the whole scheme is open (www.aaroadwatch.ie)

Originally posted by wwhyte: I'll be driving this tomorrow so I can see which of the various news stories are true... I'll post a report.

Ta for that! Will probably take a spin up it myself this evening to see who's telling the truth!!;)

Stark · 02-08-2007 2:03pm

Mayo Exile wrote:

Road now open but RTE still saying only open to the border:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0802/motorway.html

In the same article they say:

The road between Ballymascanlon at the end of the M1 outside Dundalk and the Cloghogue roundabout outside Newry was opened this afternoon.

So they just seem to have a funny idea of where the border is.

JupiterKid · 02-08-2007 5:21pm

I was up in the North a few weeks ago and it looked to me that a lot more work was needed on the road on the NI side of the border. It's pretty amazing if the entire road is opened to Clohogue roundabout. It sounds like the entire length of the road may well be open to traffic, but a lot of completion work is still to be carried out.

Skyhater · 02-08-2007 9:10pm

The entire road is open..... It was on BBC Newsline this evening.
Also, there was a 2 mile tailback back from the Clohogue roundabout

lego · 03-08-2007 12:22am

Motorway all the way to the border (quasi-motorway just before the border), then its on to the rickety congested A1 in Norn Iron. Now they're the poor relations.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news?articleid=3079303

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news?articleid=3080873

RadioCity · 03-08-2007 10:18am

Also, there was a 2 mile tailback back from the Clohogue roundabout

So, as ever the traffic has been moved elsewhere, into "Norlern Arland" by the looks of it making the Newry bypass the bottleneck now, not Dundalk as it was for long enough. The benefit has been totally lost has it?

It looks very embarrassing for the Roads Service/Department for Regional Development in the North. The A1 was always a crappily built stretch of road as it was generally built as a standard single carriageway, twisty in places and then another road put down beside it making it dual.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the dreadful junction at Sprucefield at the M1 was the icing on the cake. The A101 slighly relieved the original awful layout, but only just.

Mayo Exile · 03-08-2007 2:02pm

Originally posted by JupiterKid: I was up in the North a few weeks ago and it looked to me that a lot more work was needed on the road on the NI side of the border. It's pretty amazing if the entire road is opened to Clohogue roundabout. It sounds like the entire length of the road may well be open to traffic, but a lot of completion work is still to be carried out.

Originally posted by Skyhater: The entire road is open..... It was on BBC Newsline this evening.
Also, there was a 2 mile tailback back from the Clohogue roundabout

Took a spin up it myself last night. Lovely until near the Clohogue roundabout. What a disaster! No wonder there are 2 mile tailbacks. You are funnelled off the northbound DC along a narrow corridor you wouldn't put a motorised anorexic mouse through!! You can still see the northbound DC continuing right up to that small hill before the roundabout itself. Alot of work to be done there. The layout would definitely want to be improved before the Xmas shopping season starts, when half of Dublin comes to Newry to stock up on alcohol related products!

Rashers72 · 03-08-2007 2:05pm

Can you avoid it by going through Carlingford? Just want to get to Sainsbury's in Newry.
Or what is the worst times for the tailbacks, so I can avoid them.

Mayo Exile · 03-08-2007 2:34pm

Originally posted by Rashers72: Can you avoid it by going through Carlingford? Just want to get to Sainsbury's in Newry.
Or what is the worst times for the tailbacks, so I can avoid them.

Yes you can go this way via Carlingford and Omeath, over the border a couple of miles and then take a right. This takes you to the left turn for the back way into the Quays shopping centre (Sainsburys). Its the way I use coming up to Xmas. The Quays is in a permanent state of chaos at the weekends at this time with alot of traffic using the A1, around the Clohogue roundabout and down the dreaded hill into Newry. Then you are trying to get parking. Alternatively the other way is to get there as early as you can...........

E92 · 03-08-2007 2:54pm

I note that this road has not been reclassified yet to Motorway, which is a pity, however it is good to see that it boasts a 120 km/h spped limit south of the border.

wwhyte · 03-08-2007 3:12pm

Open all the way to Cloghogue! And a very nice drive it is too. There's a very handsome bridge at Jonesborough; the fact that it's slightly down the hill from the old road between the border and Meigh makes that plain seem much wider; and the slight change in angle coming over the last hill before Newry improves the impact of the view. Oh, and the fact that you aren't stuck behind some bloke in a tractor all the way doesn't hurt either...

They were reporting two-mile tailbacks at Newry where the road narrows from two lanes to one northbound, but the traffic was pretty light when we went through at about ten this morning.

Google maps is already showing it open. But the satellite pictures don't even show the Dundalk bypass section...

LFCFan · 03-08-2007 4:04pm

Mayo Exile wrote:

stock up on alcohol related products!

for wine and spirits maybe. The vast majority of Beers are now cheaper in the South as I found out recently. I guess the abolition of the groceries order has served some purpose afterall

As for the road. All that will happen until the M1 is completed to Belfast is that the bottleneck will continue to move ever closer to Belfast. Right now, all the time you make up on the motorway is lost as you come to that roundabout.

wwhyte · 03-08-2007 4:24pm

LFCFan wrote:

As for the road. All that will happen until the M1 is completed to Belfast is that the bottleneck will continue to move ever closer to Belfast. Right now, all the time you make up on the motorway is lost as you come to that roundabout.

I don't think that's entirely true. At light traffic times (like this morning) the improvement is significant, and even at heavy traffic times you can get ahead of several lorries going up the hill out of Dundalk.

M1 to Newry - completion date?

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