M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

andykells · 02-11-2010 6:20pm

MYOB wrote: »

Yellow lines absent at the Nenagh tie in still this evening

McDonalds Roscrea has numerous billboards advertising its drive time from J22 and was given out voucher sheets only usable there this evening. They're rather worried I think!

They will lose majority of their business to be fair. Was always handy as was on the way but i doubt too many people will exit the motorway for a Big Mac

lukejr · 03-11-2010 5:17pm

andykells wrote: »

They will lose majority of their business to be fair. Was always handy as was on the way but i doubt too many people will exit the motorway for a Big Mac

Always a handy toilet stop too. It's very near the motorway though so still very handy to pop over, at least the car park won't be crazy busy anymore.

I always stop into McDonalds if I'm stuck behind a large tail back, grab a coffee and set off again with a little less stress.

The Irish Independent covered the blockade by contractors in yesterdays paper:
Workers block motorway site over payment claims

Here's the text:

By Barry Duggan
Tuesday November 02 2010
Sub-contractors who claim they are owed millions used heavy machinery to blockade construction site entrances to the final stretch of the M7 motorway yesterday.

Fears are growing that the opening of the final 36km stretch of the M7, between Nenagh and Castletown, which is due to be completed and opened before the end of the year, could be delayed as a result of the row.

Bowen-Somague JV were awarded the Laois County Council contract to complete the final phase of the motorway in April 2008.

While those involved in the dispute did not want to be identified, they claimed that millions of euro was still outstanding to several sub-contractors from Bowen-Somague JV.

"We are looking for a meeting between the contractors, sub-contractors and supplies.

"There are a lot of local businesses affected by this. We have to work this out immediately so that the road can be opened as soon as possible," local Tipperary councillor Seamus Morris said.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) said "no definitive date" has been set for the opening of the final phase of the motorway, but it had been hoped to do in November/December.

The NRA said it was not party to any dispute between contractors and workers on site.

- Barry Duggan

Irish Independent

rainbowdash · 03-11-2010 6:52pm

Regarding McDonalds it must be goodbye to an awful lot of business along all these now replaced roads in the country. I would imagine most people will just want to do Galway / Cork /Limerick - Dublin now without a pitstop of any description.

flazio · 03-11-2010 9:28pm

rainbowdash wrote: »

Regarding McDonalds it must be goodbye to an awful lot of business along all these now replaced roads in the country. I would imagine most people will just want to do Galway / Cork /Limerick - Dublin now without a pitstop of any description.

The Kilmartins stop in Athlone is still doing a fair bit of trade.

veryangryman · 03-11-2010 9:38pm

flazio wrote: »

The Kilmartins stop in Athlone is still doing a fair bit of trade.

That stop is still on the Cork/Limerick-Athlone and numerous other routes along the midland corridoor. Along with the odd Motorway mad person who might do Arklow-Galway, Newry-Galway etc by Motorways and the fact that its convenient for most east-townees (myself included), the lost business is barely noticed. Its a 24-hour station and trust me, it does plenty of business even in the wee hours. Have never seen it empty, christmas day inclusive

Of course myself being from Athlone can drive to Cork (2 and a half hrs these days) without need for a stop. But then some of us have better bladders than others and also the sense to fill up before the journey, not during. Not having a dig at online service stations per se, just the people who think we need them :P

youcrazyjesus! · 03-11-2010 11:32pm

Can anybody tell me why these LILOs were allowed to be added to this road?

We spend billions on the roads and then penny pinch at a few interchanges which practically guarantee road deaths. I'm amazed.

The traffic island is so unbelievably tiny it defies belief. The run onto the road is so short and tight too. I am genuinely worried about driving this road because of these LILOs.

Are there any updated photos of these?

lukejr · 04-11-2010 10:45am

youcrazyjesus! wrote: »

Can anybody tell me why these LILOs were allowed to be added to this road?

I am looking at the M8, M6, M4 junction maps on the NRA and none have LILO. There are only two of these junctions on the M7: Junction 23 - Moneygall and Junction 22 - Roscrea. Seems a bit odd to have different junction styles on what will be the longest stretch of motorway in Ireland. Although Junction 9 - Naas North has a LILO too on it.

NRA M7 Junction Map

Maybe someone in the NRA was worried about delaying traffic by building two roundabouts on the busy N7 section at Moneygall to serve the motorway. I assuming the planning and route selection documents are on the NRA website somewhere.

Question, will it be easier for someone to make a mistake and go the wrong way up a carriageway with LILO? Normally the round about design makes this difficult for this mistake to happen, but sign age will need to be very clear.

kiwipower · 04-11-2010 1:20pm

rainbowdash wrote: »

Regarding McDonalds it must be goodbye to an awful lot of business along all these now replaced roads in the country. I would imagine most people will just want to do Galway / Cork /Limerick - Dublin now without a pitstop of any description.

Well considering the health impact of the Golden Arches, and other junk (sorry fast) food outlets maybe this isnt such a bad thing???????

tippilot · 04-11-2010 2:21pm

As regards the LILO, one thing occurred to me. I know a Roscrea bussinessman who was approached regarding motorway services. Apparantly a future motorway following the route of the N62 is planned in the long term. Would the provision of a minimalistic LILO type junction now allow for an easier upgrade to a future more extensive junction tie in with a crossing M62 in another area, thus allowing the LILO to be closed and replaced without much effort?

Was out for a look yesterday. One of the most alarming things was a rather extensive flood had developed south of the Roscrea junction on the southbound carriageway. It doesn't say much about the drainage.

lukejr · 04-11-2010 2:33pm

tippilot wrote: »

M62

Really a M62, lets hope they build the M20, the Dublin outer ring-road, the M24, M25, M18 and M21 before they consider linking Athlone-Roscrea-Thurles-M8 link via the M62.

LILO should be easy to upgrade if needed in the long run.

Flooding at this late stage, all drainage works should be completed by now, unless work debris was blocking the drains. Any photos?

keane2097 · 04-11-2010 3:18pm

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a LILO?

L1011 · 04-11-2010 4:01pm

keane2097 wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a LILO?

Left In, Left Out junction. Term properly used for a single sided junction on a dual carriageway that has no break in the median.

Basically its abused in this case to refer to junctions with no slip roads where the "slip" leaves at 90 degrees to the mainline; as this is how a LILO is built usually.

veryangryman · 04-11-2010 4:07pm

lukejr wrote: »

Really a M62, lets hope they build the M20, the Dublin outer ring-road, the M24, M25, M18 and M21 before they consider linking Athlone-Roscrea-Thurles-M8 link via the M62.

LILO should be easy to upgrade if needed in the long run.

Flooding at this late stage, all drainage works should be completed by now, unless work debris was blocking the drains. Any photos?

Not a fear of an M62 happening in our lifetimes. Really is there 1 non-urban linking, non suburban route in the world with a smaller population on it

Idea is laughable. H---a---ha. Well...you all know what laughter sounds like! :mad:

lukejr · 05-11-2010 10:05am

Some coverage on the protest of the road in the Nenagh Guardian this week.

Still no confirmed opening date.

swoofer · 05-11-2010 2:14pm

not getting paid in these times is hard to take and they have no other means of "exerting pressure" Lets hope it opens by end of Novemeber and then its NEWRY here I come.

gb--

Mc Love · 05-11-2010 5:56pm

Newry is a hole - i wouldnt bother

nordydan · 05-11-2010 7:48pm

GBCULLEN wrote: »

not getting paid in these times is hard to take and they have no other means of "exerting pressure" Lets hope it opens by end of Novemeber and then its NEWRY here I come.

gb--

Extra 15mins gets you to sprucefield

charlemont · 05-11-2010 7:49pm

it will be class when its finally opened..

L1011 · 05-11-2010 9:14pm

nordydan wrote: »

Extra 15mins gets you to sprucefield

sssh! I want to keep the Secret Sainsburys secret

sleepyman · 08-11-2010 10:44am

Are they still striking? I take it the end of the month would be the likely finish date if they were working/had been paid?

MidlandsM · 08-11-2010 10:48am

sleepyman wrote: »

Are they still striking? I take it the end of the month would be the likely finish date if they were working/had been paid?

I was at the section @ Borris the other day and it look complete.
I'll try and grab some pics later and post if I'm passing.:pac:

sleepyman · 08-11-2010 10:59am

MidlandsM wrote: »

I was at the section @ Borris the other day and it look complete.
I'll try and grab some pics later and post if I'm passing.:pac:

Cheers for that.I'm guessing the 15th November (people on here seemed to be mentioning it) as an opening date is unlikely to happen.

kiwipower · 08-11-2010 11:06am

As they tend to open new motorways on Fridays I expect that the 15th is out to. Maybe the 19th or 26th? I suspect that along with the protests the reason its not opening this week has more to do with the M18 Gort bypass being opened. If they seperate the two opening ceremonys, there is the extra day of publicity AND expenses for TDs!!!!!!!

ongarboy · 08-11-2010 1:17pm

also, it seems more recent road openings were given an official 2 week or so notice period (Gort M18, Birdhill M7, Castleisland N21 etc) so I expect no opening until at least after Nov 22nd. (assuming, touch wood, the protest issue gets sorted)

lukejr · 09-11-2010 10:33am

I passed it yesterday, the Moneygall LILO are not lined or studded yet from what I could see passing by on the current N7. But they have erected lots of new fencing and landscaping around the Moneygall junction, so they've been busy.

The tie-in with the north carriageway at the Nenagh bypass seems to be progressing quickly and almost complete, the traffic no longer skirts the hard shoulder but instead goes up the inside lane and then up the sliproad.

Going south bound onto the Nenagh bypass isn't so smooth, but it was dark so unable to judge the extent of the works.

No news on an opening date yet.

sleepyman · 09-11-2010 1:19pm

So they must be back working and had been paid then?Yes??

solidwork · 09-11-2010 11:38pm

Can we presume that the 15th open date won’t be happening? From what people have being saying the road seems very close, can we come to the conclusion it will be open before the end of the month.

lukejr · 10-11-2010 10:50am

Noticed this morning that Google Maps has updated all the roads in Ireland, every road that is due open by years end is now shown. Including the Nenagh to Castletown section.

Although some roads that are motorway are shown as green national routes. Lets hope they fix that soon.

mcgeebers · 10-11-2010 4:57pm

I'm travelling to Killarney Friday evening. I've only ever gone the N7 in the past. Is this still recommended, even with the incomplete Castletown - Nenagh section, or is the M8 a better option existing at Mitchelstown and heading the N72 via Mallow?

lottpaul · 10-11-2010 5:57pm

mcgeebers wrote: »

I'm travelling to Killarney Friday evening. I've only ever gone the N7 in the past. Is this still recommended, even with the incomplete Castletown - Nenagh section, or is the M8 a better option existing at Mitchelstown and heading the N72 via Mallow?

I would still be inclined to use the M/N7 - with the new sections, esp the Birdhill part, it's a very good road. And, don't forget Castleisland is now bypassed too, so no delay there.
If you've never travelled from Mitchelstown to Mallow, and especially from Mallow to Killarney I certainly wouldn't try it for the first time in the dark, wind and rain of a November night. The section from Rathmore is especially twisting and dangerous.

piskins72 · 10-11-2010 6:49pm

lottpaul wrote: »

I would still be inclined to use the M/N7 - with the new sections, esp the Birdhill part, it's a very good road. And, don't forget Castleisland is now bypassed too, so no delay there.
If you've never travelled from Mitchelstown to Mallow, and especially from Mallow to Killarney I certainly wouldn't try it for the first time in the dark, wind and rain of a November night. The section from Rathmore is especially twisting and dangerous.

+ 1 for this, that road from Mallow is very windy indeed in parts. once you hit before nenagh its motorway all the way until before Adare so you really could make the journey down in 4.5 hours or less. I travel this route regularly from Enfield and we can make the journey down in less than 3.5 hours. Cannot wait until the rest of the road is open!:D

ItHurtsWhenIP · 10-11-2010 9:29pm

lukejr wrote: »

Noticed this morning that Google Maps has updated all the roads in Ireland, every road that is due open by years end is now shown. Including the Nenagh to Castletown section.

Did you try to get the Street View on those sections??? They are mysteriously

unavailable!!!

lukejr · 11-11-2010 5:19pm

The M18 is opening tomorrow, so the M7 will be the last piece of motorway under construction in the state.

Until the M18/M17 begins in early 2011.

CrowdedHouse · 11-11-2010 5:43pm

I passed the over bridge on the Roscrea - Knock road just a while ago,the road isn't even lined on the Limerick bound side.To my untrained eye(in the few secs. I was passing) there seemed to be lots of unfinished bits around there

villacud · 12-11-2010 10:26am

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

I passed the over bridge on the Roscrea - Knock road just a while ago,the road isn't even lined on the Limerick bound side.To my untrained eye(in the few secs. I was passing) there seemed to be lots of unfinished bits around there

Same at Nenagh - Passed it this morning, southbound lane still to be lined

redtom33 · 12-11-2010 5:53pm

mcgeebers wrote: »

I'm travelling to Killarney Friday evening. I've only ever gone the N7 in the past. Is this still recommended, even with the incomplete Castletown - Nenagh section, or is the M8 a better option existing at Mitchelstown and heading the N72 via Mallow?

M7 from Nenagh to Adare is by far the best way to go. Not only is it a better road but is also a quicker journey.

MichaelR · 13-11-2010 10:24pm

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

Did you try to get the Street View on those sections??? They are mysteriously unavailable!!!

The Castleisland bypass in a "very WIP" state can be seen from at least one road crossing it.

Streem View stuff seems to be from early 2009. I saw my old car there, standing at a house I left in May 09.

Carawaystick · 14-11-2010 3:00am

mcgeebers wrote: »

I'm travelling to Killarney Friday evening. I've only ever gone the N7 in the past. Is this still recommended, even with the incomplete Castletown - Nenagh section, or is the M8 a better option existing at Mitchelstown and heading the N72 via Mallow?

Assuming you're starting in Dublin or north of Portlaoise, I'd go by the M8/N25/N22 via Cork. It's Grade seperate Dual carriageway or Motorway, from Dublin to Ovens west of Balincollig, and decent single carriageway Baile Bhuirne and about 2km of crap surface through Baile Bhuirne and then good WS2 with climbing lanes to Killarney. Took me 3 hours from Kllarney to RedCow before Abbeyleix was bypassed one Sunday morning.

Amtmann · 14-11-2010 4:40pm

Opening date pushed back to early December according to a workman I met today. Either the 1st or the 6th. I have some photos but my connection is too slow to upload them at the moment.

Amtmann · 14-11-2010 7:29pm

Pics!

Junction 22 (N62):

Junction 21 looking to Limerick:

Junction 21 westbound on-ramp:

Junction 21 looking towards Portlaoise:

Confirmation sign:

Close to Knock, looking to Portlaoise:

Same position, looking to Limerick:

Large overbridge on the Knock to Roscrea road. This is the final large structure on the scheme to open:

Looking towards that same overbridge from the mainline. This is about 2.5 kilometres north of junction 22. Note the layby on the left of the photo:

A closer look at the layby:

Junction 22 looking to Dublin:

And looking to Limerick:

That's it 'til she opens.

Amtmann · 14-11-2010 7:31pm

One more:

Mc Love · 14-11-2010 7:41pm

Those LILO junctions are mad - they will be a nightmare

Chris_5339762 · 14-11-2010 7:52pm

A bit crazy. They need a barrier up the middle of them to make sure people go the right way.

Irish and Proud · 14-11-2010 7:54pm

Furet wrote: »

One more:

Great photos once again Furet!

However, that LILO looks pretty lethal for a 120kph motorway. They're not like the new LILOs on the M18 Gort to Crusheen (guess the M18 G to C has newer specs though). On the new M18, the Curves onto the compact slips appear to be much larger and safer (large grass triangles), where the M7 Borris to Nenagh LILOs look like slips you'd expect to find on an urban street. Mind you, as far as I could make out from the original plans for the M7 B to N, there weren't even going to put in proper acceleration/deceleration lanes - as least these are now included, but it's still IMO lethal! Apart from that, the road appears to be superb in terms of surfacing, alignment and appearance. They'll eventually have to change the LILOs, or impose a 100kph mainline speed limit on approach.

Regards!

JupiterKid · 14-11-2010 8:00pm

Great pics Furet.:) The opening of this stretch of road will represent the effective completion of the MIU motorways.

But as I suspected, junction 22 is a total death trap.:( This is not an acceptable standard on a motorway.:mad:

etchyed · 14-11-2010 10:50pm

Furet wrote: »

One more:

Terrifying.

loyatemu · 14-11-2010 11:20pm

Furet wrote: »

One more:

that is a (bad) accident waiting to happen:
"ah jaysus, I'm goin' to Dublin, not Limerick, better turn right..."

JupiterKid · 15-11-2010 5:50am

I think someone needs to write into the NRA pointing out that junctions 22 and 23 are highly dangerous.

There will be serious accidents here unless something is done to improve them, mark my words.:(:mad:

Tech3 · 15-11-2010 8:08am

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

A bit crazy. They need a barrier up the middle of them to make sure people go the right way.

I presume that bollards will be erected to prevent traffic from crossing over onto the wrong side of the road. This is done on similar type LILO junctions on the M18 Ennis bypass. There is still a few weeks to completion so work on this might not be carried out until a few days before opening.

J15 on the M18 is a better design than those two junctions on the M7. The on and off ramps are more gradual towards the mainline and not a short 90 degree turn onto the motorway. At least the megre/diverge lanes are not short!

AlanD · 15-11-2010 9:34am

JupiterKid wrote: »

I think someone needs to write into the NRA pointing out that junctions 22 and 23 are highly dangerous.

There will be serious accidents here unless something is done to improve them, mark my words.:(:mad:

I doubt there will be, but why don't you write to the NRA and articulate your fears about the junction so its not "someone else's" job.

Just a thought.

M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

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