M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

Tech3 · 23-02-2010 12:06pm

A reply on another forum about the scheme:

Just seen your reply now. Earthworks were finished, I was the eathworks manager/engineer, they were finished when i was leaving in november. The first 18km had cbm complete of a 35km section, thats more than half. The majority of the next 17km had been prepaired by 3D systems and was waiting for cbm. Ill call my ex boss soon and find out whats going on there.

Link

kiwipower · 01-03-2010 11:05am

I was travelling between Dublin and Limerick over the weekend. I see they are working on the tie-in between the existing M7 at Port Laois and the new Motor Way. The lights of the toll plaza are already visible from the existing N7 fly over of the up and coming M7, does this mean that the M7 Port Loais to Nenagh will be ready to open in the next few months? They seem to be getting the work done at quite a rate compared with the Nenagh to Limerick section!

Amtmann · 01-03-2010 12:13pm

kiwipower wrote: »

does this mean that the M7 Port Loais to Nenagh will be ready to open in the next few months?

No.

kiwipower · 01-03-2010 12:39pm

Furet wrote: »

No.

:(Im so sad right now.
I was so Happy last night thinking that I might save considerable time saving on my weekend journeys from Limerick to Gorey. Especially as last night we were begining to see the increase in travelling traffic with the begining of the summer and match traffic.
Any estimates on the opening date for this strech of road?? :P

Stark · 01-03-2010 12:41pm

There's a sticky thread at the top of the forum page with estimated completion dates.

popebenny16 · 01-03-2010 12:58pm

kiwipower wrote: »

I was travelling between Dublin and Limerick over the weekend. I see they are working on the tie-in between the existing M7 at Port Laois and the new Motor Way. The lights of the toll plaza are already visible from the existing N7 fly over of the up and coming M7, does this mean that the M7 Port Loais to Nenagh will be ready to open in the next few months? They seem to be getting the work done at quite a rate compared with the Nenagh to Limerick section!

yeah i was on this last night and was diverted up and down the slip roads at Junction 18.

The stretch from there to Castletown will be ready first I would imagine, the junction for Abbeyleix/Rathdowney is now open to local traffic (but not onto the motorway of course) and the motorway itself looks very finished.

The stretech from Borris-in-Ossory to Roscrea is not greatly advanced, the Roscrea Thurles Road still has not been diverted over the new bridge as of yet.

AlanD · 01-03-2010 1:00pm

Was there any traffic delays on the slip at the end of the M7 at Portlaoise? Heading that way tonight so want to avoid it if there are any delays.

popebenny16 · 01-03-2010 1:04pm

AlanD wrote: »

Was there any traffic delays on the slip at the end of the M7 at Portlaoise? Heading that way tonight so want to avoid it if there are any delays.

it was around seven on a sunday evening so not a great guide. I would not imagine too many delays, but it is a bit twisty and narrow so traffic will be slow, and there could be a queue to get into it as two lanes merge into one.

lukejr · 01-03-2010 3:07pm

kiwipower wrote: »

The lights of the toll plaza are already visible from the existing N7 fly over of the up and coming M7, does this mean that the M7 Port Loais to Nenagh will be ready to open in the next few months?

There are three section in total from Portlaoise to Limerick, plus the Shannon tunnel.

The Portlaoise to Borris-in-Ossory section should be open by the sumer, bypasses Mountrath and Borris-in-Ossory. There will be a toll on this section.

The Castletown to Nenagh section is progressing, but from comments on this forum it will be late summer. This bypasses Roscrea, Moneygall and Toomyvara.

The Nenagh to Limerick section should be open by May at the latest, current speed of work on the boggy section could suggest an early opening date but still almost a year behind. This section bypasses Nenagh, Birdhill and Castletroy roundabout.

kiwipower · 01-03-2010 4:54pm

Thanks for the info lukejr. I was a little confused with the town termanology as I dont know where Castletown is. I am now a little happier as a result! Even a bypass ob B-in-O and Mount Rath will mean a big saving!

popebenny16 · 02-03-2010 11:50am

the only real bottleneck remaining on the entire n7 is mounrath, having that taken out will have a great effect on traffic.

fresca · 02-03-2010 1:04pm

popebenny16 wrote: »

the only real bottleneck remaining on the entire n7 is mounrath, having that taken out will have a great effect on traffic.

It will probably just move the traffic to the next bottleneck... in this case the tie-in at Borris-in-Ossory.. then Roscrea... Moneygall ... Toomyvara..

But i agree that mountrath is a significant hold-up... the rest at least tend to move along...

So by the June bank holiday weekend then Nenagh to Borris should the the only incomplete section. Thankfully, this might save some lives...

lukejr · 15-03-2010 6:02pm

Is there a details map/drawing of this section of road, better than the one page PDF that's on the NRA website.

Ideally I would like to see a detailed drawing of how this section will link in with the Nenagh bypass, JN24 I think.

The only link I could find was the following:
http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf

mysterious · 15-03-2010 7:05pm

Its a crappy interchange with three roundabouts. The current R445 Alignment stays the same with the Westbound slip (coming from Dublin) going towards Nenagh will be widened to facilitate traffic both ways to the Arch bridge. A roundabout will be provided. at either side allow East and westbound slips onto the interchange.. The last roundabout is on the existing R445 Where the old Dublin road starts. Hope this will give you a mental picture. The new layout isn't much different. The arch bridge is very narrow and will allow no HS at all under this bridge. I would have preferred to see it go.

But we live in Ireland...

lukejr · 15-03-2010 7:23pm

Thanks for the reply. I wonder how traffic will be managed while these two motorways are stitched together, sometime in late summer.

I assume once the slip-roads are in place for the bridge that traffic will be routed up and over and down to the Nenagh bypass.

So the bridge must be widened to two lanes, anyone know the progress on this?

mysterious wrote: »

The arch bridge is very narrow and will allow no HS at all under this bridge.

Would it not have made more sense to build a new two lane bridge, perhaps in a better location, route traffic onto this and knock the old arch bridge. Another alternative would be to excavate soil by the distance required, so the road is lower under the bridge, allowing for HS.

Just goes to show what little planning exists in this country. When the Nenagh bypassed opened in 2000, everyone asked "why isn't this a dual carriageway?". They didn't even design the bridges at the time so it could be easily upgraded, crazy and very shortsighted.
http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/2000/htmltext,2561,en.html

mysterious · 15-03-2010 9:25pm

lukejr wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I wonder how traffic will be managed while these two motorways are stitched together, sometime in late summer.

I assume once the slip-roads are in place for the bridge that traffic will be routed up and over and down to the Nenagh bypass.

So the bridge must be widened to two lanes, anyone know the progress on this?

Would it not have made more sense to build a new two lane bridge, perhaps in a better location, route traffic onto this and knock the old arch bridge. Another alternative would be to excavate soil by the distance required, so the road is lower under the bridge, allowing for HS.

Just goes to show what little planning exists in this country. When the Nenagh bypassed opened in 2000, everyone asked "why isn't this a dual carriageway?". They didn't even design the bridges at the time so it could be easily upgraded, crazy and very shortsighted.
http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/2000/htmltext,2561,en.html

Hey no bother. I said what you said about a year ago and even drew a simple layout that brings the current R445 back to its original alignment straight over the M7 at an angel to where the Dublin facing LILO currently exists at the exiting Nenagh bypass. There is plenty of room and gives better room to tie the N-C scheme into the N-L motorway. Thus allowing full motorway clearance including a HS.

But as I said we live in Ireland and we don't have a good road planning
system. The NRA are a joke.

Do you really think these incompetent road planners would even bother sinking the road to allow a HS?:rolleyes:

fresca · 22-03-2010 9:14am

trouble in toom this morning?

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/

a stop/go system will be in place both ways on the N7 at Toomyvara from today until Tues 6th April from 8am to 4:30pm daily. A 3km stretch of road will be affected from the Dublin side of Toomyvara to the county bounds at Ollatrim

Deedsie · 22-03-2010 9:23am

How will that section affect the new motorway?

fresca · 22-03-2010 9:37am

Deedsie wrote: »

How will that section affect the new motorway?

perhaps the question is ... are these works in anyway related to the new motorway?

Deedsie · 22-03-2010 10:44am

fresca wrote: »

perhaps the question is ... are these works in anyway related to the new motorway?

Much better question. I hope i dont have to travel through Toomevara anytime soon.

Stark · 22-03-2010 11:02am

Crap, that means it'll be in place over the Easter weekend.

fresca · 22-03-2010 11:23am

Stark wrote: »

Crap, that means it'll be in place over the Easter weekend.

perhaps not....
don't know for definite, but i would imaging that good friday to easter monday might be "no work" days.
however, there'll probably still be cones, etc..

The Word Is Bor · 22-03-2010 1:28pm

Those planned works are nothing to do with the N7 Nenagh Castletown. They are the repairs to existing N7, which was damaged as a result of the cold weather over the winter. They are currently working on the Roscrea side of Toomevara.

slinky2000 · 23-03-2010 9:33pm

ah crap, I've to go through that direction a few times this weekend!

phog · 23-03-2010 10:10pm

slinky2000 wrote: »

ah crap, I've to go through that direction a few times this weekend!

Week-end? Should be okay, I think it's week days only.

Deedsie · 30-03-2010 12:32pm

Tipperary - The N7 Dublin/Limerick Rd is closed southbound at the first off ramp for Nenagh after Tommevara until June
Updated: 30/03/2010 11:32:19
Traffic is being diverted via the M7 Nenagh Bypass.

I presume this has got something to do with the Nenagh - Castletown tie in?

Has anyone any information on it? Some amount of roadworks on the N7 around Nenagh to Moneygall at the moment. Coming into the bank holiday season. It will be chronic on the road.

The Word Is Bor · 30-03-2010 3:46pm

The existing westbound off-slip at Nenagh has been closed to facilitate the construction of the new Nenagh Interchange. The next opportunity to get off the M7 westbound is the Thurles Rd jct. which is approx. 2km further west.

There are no roadworks on the road between Moneygall and Nenagh as such. So I can't see how traffic will be chronic.

Deedsie · 30-03-2010 4:00pm

The Word Is Bor wrote: »

The existing westbound off-slip at Nenagh has been closed to facilitate the construction of the new Nenagh Interchange. The next opportunity to get off the M7 westbound is the Thurles Rd jct. which is approx. 2km further west.

There are no roadworks on the road between Moneygall and Nenagh as such. So I can't see how traffic will be chronic.

I said around nenagh. Traffic lights in place at ballywilliam on the N7 no opening date for the birdhill Motorway yet. Road works the far side of Toomevara. Between Nenagh and Moneygall

The Word Is Bor · 30-03-2010 5:22pm

I feel that I might be repating myself here but there are no roadworks, that block traffic, on the road between Nenagh and Moneygall at the moment.

Amtmann · 09-04-2010 9:56am

I crossed over this scheme yesterday on the N62 south of Roscrea. There is a deep cutting here on both sides of the 62, but the overbridge that will replace the N62 seems to have not even been started yet. As for the surfacing on the future M7 visible from the N62, only chippings had been partially laid on one carriageway from what I could see -- so no CBGM yet.

M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

Comments