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M8 - Cashel to Cullahill

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    #422
    G_R
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 5,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭G_R


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Are they going to reduce the speedlimit on the R639 (the old N8) to 80km/h?

    they should do....but when they get around to it is a different story.:D

    It'll be a shame tho, the road between urligford and littleton is very good, well able to handle 100km/h, maybe they will impose a special speed limit (if that's possible, i kno they can increase N roads to 120 so i c noi reason why they cant increase an R to 100 if it is suitable)


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    #423
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    They can create a special speed limit of 100km/h but they normally go to 80km/h first and then increase it later.

    I see the 100 km/h signs are still up. I saw the Gardaí speed checking between Urlingford and Johnstown on Tuesday. If the 100km/h signs are still up they can hardly get you for doing 90?


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    #424
    trap4
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 468 ✭✭trap4


    I got a chance to drive the new section of the M8 on Tuesday and took the opportunity to test out a theory of mine that a drive from west Limerick (near Newcastlewest) to Dublin could be done nearly as quickly on the M8 now as on the N7.

    So I went cross country (Drumcollogher->Liscarrol->Buttevant) to Mitchelstown and enjoyed the 50 miles of wonderful motorway from there. It took me 2h15m to get to the Midway foodcourt in Portaloise. Only for the dirt track from Buttevant to Mitchelstown and a tractor tailback near Abbeyleix I'd have done it 10 minutues quicker.

    The return jouney, from Midway to home via the N7 was 13 miles shorter but took only 7 minutes less. So my theory wasn't quite correct but not anything like as daft as some friends thought it would be either.

    BTW, that Cashel to Cullahill is as wonderful as everyone says but how sad to think it'll be as defiled by litter as Portlaoise to Dublin is now, within a year :-(


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    #425
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    The stretch needs a service area now...

    As the situation with motorways gets better, the situation with MSAs gets worse. We now have 435 km of motorway in this country, and do we have a single place to legally stop?


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    #426
    Rowley Birkin QC
    Registered Users Posts: 6,223 ✭✭✭Rowley Birkin QC


    Only if you have a white car with a blue flashing light unfortunately.

    It's something I don't understand at all, the lack of service areas. Studying to be a Planner and it seems ridiculous that no-one thought of these at the planning stage.


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    #427
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    It's something I don't understand at all, the lack of service areas. Studying to be a Planner and it seems ridiculous that no-one thought of these at the planning stage.

    It is stupid. If the NRA hadn't flapped around in deciding whether we needed them or not then they would more than likely be under construction now and would co-incide with opening of the MUIs.

    Anyway, I've started a thread specifically dedicated to the MSAs:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055439234


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    #428
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Just saw some agriculural tractors crawling along the M8 at 40 km/h! :mad:


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    #429
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Just saw some agriculural tractors crawling along the M8 at 40 km/h! :mad:

    I really wish I could say I'm surprised... :rolleyes:

    Do people not see the bleeding OBVIOUS:

    Motorway Ahead

    ... that appears before every single junction in the country. It honestly cannot be made ANY clearer than that (our UK counterparts don't even HAVE this sign - yet they don't have this problem).

    It's not ignorance, it's pure disregard for safety of other road users and is utterly selfish. There is a nearly empty high-spec regional road running alongside it for them to use.

    No excuses. If they're caught they should be heavily fined IMO...


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    #430
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Just saw some agriculural tractors crawling along the M8 at 40 km/h! :mad:

    This really boils my blood. I always beep viciously at a tractor on motorway. I have nothing but contempt for such drivers. This deserves its own thread really.


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    #431
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    Furet wrote: »
    This really boils my blood. I always beep viciously at a tractor on motorway. I have nothing but contempt for such drivers. This deserves its own thread really.

    Agreed.

    But it wasn't a tractor in this case, it was tractors...

    I can just imagine the sight, a convoy of them sluggishly trundling along the motorway in the inner lane (or even hard-shoulder) somehow thinking that they're entitled to be there.

    It's not a sight that I see too often, but I see it more often than I should and it always makes me mad. WHAT is their rationale? They aren't going to get anywhere any faster on the motorway than they are on quiet regional roads. All they serve to do is defeat the purpose the motorway by slowing down traffic and reducing safety.


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    #432
    Stark
    Registered Users Posts: 20,947 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    Anytime I've seen them on the motorways, they're usually foreshadowed by the sight of cars slamming on the brakes as they come up behind them. From a distance, the effect looks similar to if a car was broken down on the motorway.


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    #433
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    Just fired off an email to traffic@garda.ie

    The Cashel Bypass in particular always has at least one yokel-driven tractor on it.


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    #434
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    I think the fact that four people have reported incidents of seeing tractors on motorways within the space of half-an-hour is evidence enough that there is a huge problem.


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    #435
    marmurr1916
    Registered Users Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭marmurr1916


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Just saw some agriculural tractors crawling along the M8 at 40 km/h! :mad:

    Bloody idiots! Hope you got their numbers to give to the guards.


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    #436
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    marmurr1916 wrote: »
    Bloody idiots! Hope you got their numbers to give to the guards.

    My sentiments exactly. People should colloborate in order to stop this kind of stupidity...


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    #437
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,559 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    BluntGuy wrote: »
    I really wish I could say I'm surprised... :rolleyes:

    Do people not see the bleeding OBVIOUS:

    Motorway Ahead

    ... that appears before every single junction in the country. It honestly cannot be made ANY clearer than that (our UK counterparts don't even HAVE this sign - yet they don't have this problem).

    They used to! In fact our sign is nearly identical to theirs. They abandoned them in the 1980s on the basis that people were so used to motorways, they didn't need to be reminded of the restrictions. Now "Non-Motorway Traffic" gets signed as the last exit prior to the start of the motorway.

    The original of the speicies can be seen here...

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7764506.stm


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    #438
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    icdg wrote: »
    They used to! In fact our sign is nearly identical to theirs. They abandoned them in the 1980s on the basis that people were so used to motorways, they didn't need to be reminded of the restrictions. Now "Non-Motorway Traffic" gets signed as the last exit prior to the start of the motorway.

    The original of the speicies can be seen here...


    I'm aware the UK used to have similar signage and you're right, it was gradually phased out...


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    #439
    Rowley Birkin QC
    Registered Users Posts: 6,223 ✭✭✭Rowley Birkin QC


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Just saw some agriculural tractors crawling along the M8 at 40 km/h! :mad:

    How exactly did you measure their speed?

    There are plenty of agricultural machines in this country that are capable of being driven at the minimum motorway speed of 50km/h.
    Furet wrote:
    yokel-driven tractor on it.

    No need for that tbh.


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    #440
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Now "Non-Motorway Traffic" gets signed as the last exit prior to the start of the motorway.
    Why is that not done here?


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    #441
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    No need for that tbh.

    These people are ignorant or thick, or possibly both, and they're a lethal hazard. They're lucky they don't get called worse. Calling someone a "yokel" won't get anyone killed; tractors on motorways will.


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    #442
    AugustusMaximus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,044 ✭✭✭AugustusMaximus


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    How exactly did you measure their speed?

    There are plenty of agricultural machines in this country that are capable of being driven at the minimum motorway speed of 50km/h.



    No need for that tbh.


    Unless it was a JCB fastrack then it would prob be unable to do 50kph.


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    #443
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    Bond-007 wrote: »
    Why is that not done here?

    The "Motorway Ahead" signs compensate for that. It should be obvious that if you are on the categories listed then you LEAVE the motorway at the next available exit.


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    #444
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    There are plenty of agricultural machines in this country that are capable of being driven at the minimum motorway speed of 50km/h.

    And there are plenty that aren't which is why they shouldn't be on the motorway.

    And do you really think, regardless of what the law states, that 50 km/h is a sensible speed to be doing in traffic that is generally going at 120?


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    #445
    AugustusMaximus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,044 ✭✭✭AugustusMaximus


    BluntGuy wrote: »
    And there are plenty that aren't which is why they shouldn't be on the motorway.

    And do you really think, regardless of what the law states, that 50 km/h is a sensible speed to be doing in traffic that is generally going at 120?

    IMO, I'd have a minimum speed limit on motorways of 70kph, if not 80kph.

    A 70kph speed differential from 50 to 120 is stupid and dangerous.


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    #446
    Rowley Birkin QC
    Registered Users Posts: 6,223 ✭✭✭Rowley Birkin QC


    Bluntguy wrote:
    And do you really think, regardless of what the law states, that 50 km/h is a sensible speed to be doing in traffic that is generally going at 120?

    It's not my job to make the law; it currently states that 50km/h is an acceptable speed to travel at. Provided the lighting is correct and working on the tractor and all brakes are working then no I don't see a problem.
    Furet wrote:
    These people are ignorant or thick, or possibly both, and they're a lethal hazard. They're lucky they don't get called worse. Calling someone a "yokel" won't get anyone killed; tractors on motorways will.

    How are they ignorant and thick?

    The law states that a vehicle capable of 50km/h is permitted on the motorway. Where is the confusion?

    I can understand your frustration if it was a guy in a old Massey out for a look at the new road but there genuinely are many tractors (lots of Fendts, Fastracs etc.) capable of the minimum speed limit and they have as much right to use the road as you or I in cars, buses or trucks.


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    #447
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    bigkev49 wrote: »


    How are they ignorant and thick?

    The law states that a vehicle capable of 50km/h is permitted on the motorway. Where is the confusion?

    Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe or sensible.


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    #448
    BluntGuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭BluntGuy


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    The law currently states that 50km/h is an acceptable speed to travel at.

    Common sense does not. ;)


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    #449
    Rowley Birkin QC
    Registered Users Posts: 6,223 ✭✭✭Rowley Birkin QC


    amacachi wrote: »
    Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe or sensible.
    BluntGuy wrote: »
    Common sense does not. ;)

    That's your view, the law states otherwise. Anyway that's enough off-topic discussion I reckon.


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    #450
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    bigkev49 wrote: »
    How are they ignorant and thick?

    Ignorance (as in ignorance of the law/rules of the road) = driving your tractor half on the carriageway, half on the hard shoulder. Any tractor I've ever seen on a motorway does this.

    I label such drivers 'thick' [i.e. stupid] based on the ignorance outlined above. That's to say, if you* think it's ok to drive your tractor like that, then you are thick, and not only thick, but a dangerous menace too.

    Then there're tractors that haul slurry, muck and silage on the motorways, bits of which always fall off and create a dangerous amount of slippery detritus for other traffic to drive through. Again, this is ignorant and thick, and totally selfish to boot.

    Oh, and I've seen more than a few old banger tractors chugging along at a snail's pace on motorway hard shoulders, especially along the Cashel bypass.

    * I'm not referring to you personally, BigKev.


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    #451
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭Amtmann


    Actually, here's a good example of what we're talking about (video commentary is...cryptic!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhp9RlrfAn8


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