M8 - Mitchelstown to Fermoy

Furet wrote: »

Someone has started to update OSM. But they have misnamed the N73 and R639 Mitchelstown Relief Road.

That was me. I've fixed it now. Just to be clear on how this is done (I refer to the "still not mapped" posts )...

A week ago the thing opened. A bunch of us Irish OSMers are in frequent contact, and there is a presence in Cork. It was known that I was to travel the road this weekend, so we resolved to do it then, or map it from any tracks that might be donated to us from non-mappers or folks not confident in their mapping ability. None came, hence the 1 week delay.

You'll see that what has actually been mapped so far is the southbound carriageway only, coming off at all junctions to capture the slip roads. I'll be travelling back up to Dublin, at which time I'll log and map the northbound carriageway with ramps, then extrapolate the path of the mainline (which can then be refined with future actual mainline traces).

I do need guidance as to what has to happen to the R665. Intuitively, it feels like this wants to join the M8, but I can't decide at which end that should happen. I'd also be very grateful for any GPS traces taken of the mainline so I can more accurately map that between junctions, where my own traces, as noted, will be coming off at each ramp.

BTW, anybody collecting GPS traces for OSM should ideally do the following:

• Set your receiver to log one point every second. Some log so infrequently that the resulting mapping is far too coarse in detail.
• Drive all the way around any roundabouts, to allow the diameter to be accurately gauged.

You should expect the northbound carriageway to be fully mapped by Tuesday. Anybody wanting updated routable Garmin maps, please let me know.

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Is there a site for the Irish OSMers? I dont get a whole lot done but I've done some mapping in Cork and Galway.

You should check out the Ireland Project Page, the Irish mailing list (low traffic) and the IRC channel.

Incidentally, it looks like somebody (maybe from here, in which case, thanks) has uploaded a GPS trace for the southbound mainline, from which I have completed the southbound mapping.

Furet wrote: »

The R665 has no junction with the M8; it just passes over it. It starts at the centre of Mitchelstown and proceeds towards Clonmel.

This is fine, but generally that would have it terminating at the junction with another regional road. So the question is whether any of the old road through Mitchelstown has remained as the R639, and, if so, which parts. You'll see that OSM currently has the R665 pushing west of the town centre to join the relief road, perhaps there are (or were) even signs to this effect.

Furet wrote: »

What did you think of the new M8 section?

It's very satisfactory. Far better than either Mitchelstown or its relief road

About the oddest ring road about. and the smallest place int he country to have a ring road of this quality.

Furet wrote: »

It now seems that a picture of the M8 M-F section will win SABRE's June Photo of the Month Competition. I believe this will be only the second time that a picture of an Irish road has been elevated to the top of SABRE's pages.

Congratulations Furet

Got my 1st chance to drive the new section last night. Very nice, and what made it better, no Corbett Court.

What I did notice having not driven the stretch in 5 weeks, is there a new off ramp going in at exit 8 for the Northbound cars??** I did see the cones up here a few weeks ago but no sign off an off ramp. **(just checked M8 Wikipedia page, got answer)

Plus there was a white van just before exit 7 I think it was last night, i presume it's the same van thats been spoke off under the bridge in earlier posts.

All in all a nice drive up apart from losing the 10 mins I gained on the new stretch to a tailback in Abbeyleix.