M8 motorway (general thread)

etchyed · 26-01-2011 12:17am

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Cork is signed along the N7/M7 until the split.

Links to signposts at various N7/M7 junctions between the M50 and the M7/M8 split. Note that Cork is clearly signposted along this road:

N7, jct 7: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.256819,-6.556048&spn=0,0.042272&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=53.256743,-6.556194&panoid=g_jaVuSKkAbgVv14SK-piA&cbp=12,247.98,,0,16.24

N7, jct 8: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.239177,-6.619091&spn=0,0.084543&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.238921,-6.619422&panoid=MyaLoF3yS3pM4UA0JBMuRw&cbp=12,241.04,,0,8

M7, jct 9: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.239177,-6.619091&spn=0,0.084543&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=53.238921,-6.619422&panoid=MyaLoF3yS3pM4UA0JBMuRw&cbp=12,241.04,,0,8

M7, jct 10: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.220116,-6.700287&spn=0,0.169086&t=h&z=13&layer=c&cbll=53.219772,-6.700636&panoid=cEWqK6rBBBKLwx2UUi9W1Q&cbp=12,206.59,,0,5.18

M7, jct 11: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.174303,-6.746297&spn=0,0.338173&t=h&z=12&layer=c&cbll=53.174303,-6.746297&panoid=Y7gealEGJ0R07sygPi4k2w&cbp=12,211.89,,0,6.01

M7, jct 14: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.148495,-6.997497&spn=0,0.021136&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=53.148535,-6.997171&panoid=WrbAWejVNKyL51hlIvgN4g&cbp=12,260.95,,0,8.47

M7, jct 16: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.058961,-7.228693&spn=0,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.059313,-7.228214&panoid=8x7-60gJShsjcOjwv_eC-A&cbp=12,222.8,,0,12.22

Why would you get the impression that a motorway is a minor road?

As you can see, Cork and Waterford are clearly signposted along the N7/M7.

Yes it is. You can't expect signposting to cover all possibilities, to sign all possible destinations from one particular point. If you don't buy a map or get sat nav, it's impossible to plan your journey, unless you know every single road and route number in the country like the back of your hand.

Cork is signposted all along the N7/M7 until the M7/M8 split - check the Google Streetmap links and you'll see this to be the case.

You haven't read my posts properly.

etchyed · 26-01-2011 12:25am

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

New posters are always welcomed, but a lot of the recent ones have come in here with loud, entrenched opinions and just wont listen to the rest of us

That's true and part of Teddy455's post made little sense. Why didn't they build a separate road to Cork indeed.

However his subsequent valid points about signage were shouted down, perhaps because regulars are too used to having to deal with the idiot types and react to new posters on autopilot. [/groundless theory]

Amtmann · 17-04-2011 11:49pm

I did a nice circuit today, taking in the N24 from Clonmel to Waterford; the M9 to the N10 junction; the N10 to the N77; the N77 all the way to Durrow; the R639 to Urlingford; and the M8 from Urlingford to Cahir.

Finally approached Durrow from a side I'd never seen before (N77). What a beautiful town! Some nice new M8 and M7 signage has been installed, including orange R639 alternative route signage.

The M8 was looking very green in the April sunshine. The planting is really taking off now. Traffic was very heavy from Urlingford all the way south to Cahir, on both carriageways. First time I'd been on the M8 since early January :eek:

Brabus · 06-05-2011 5:18pm

There was recently a request made to the NRA by a county councillor about possibly building another junction on the M8 near Cullahill between the current junctions 3 & 4 to cater for the increase in articulated trucks & lorries going through Johnstown.

If I remember at the time, that section of M8 began at Cullahill and finished at Cashel, maybe an access road to it could be reopened again.

Or is it just transferring the problem further up the M8?

L1011 · 06-05-2011 6:13pm

Brabus wrote: »

If I remember at the time, that section of M8 began at Cullahill and finished at Cashel, maybe an access road to it could be reopened again.

There's no way to do that, seeing as all it was was the motorway ending at a roundabout. No bridge, no nothing; even the roundabout has been removed.

It'd need a full-price interchange built.

Amtmann · 17-05-2011 2:29pm

Rather dangerous traffic management plan on the M8 between J9 and J8 at the moment for Queen Elizabeth's visit. The service area at Cashel is looking great now. Parking seems scant enough though. It opens tomorrow, and I'll be uploading pics once it does.

Amtmann · 18-05-2011 3:25pm

First impressions quite bad. For such a large site, the facilities are small. Very limited parking as you can see below:

Very dangerous too with the HGVs circulating around very close to everything else. You would have to watch small children like a hawk.

More:

I was told by one attendant that extra parking places are planned. Not sure if I believe that.

While this is welcome given the paucity of services on the M8, it is completely inferior in every way to the NRA service areas on the M1 and M4. It's small, parking is limited, and like I said, there isn't enough segregation between HGV, bus and car traffic. It's very disappointing.

Our man in Havana · 18-05-2011 4:10pm

It can't be good to have cars parked like that. I have not seen the like of it anywhere else in the UK or Europe.

NFD100 · 18-05-2011 4:10pm

That's way too small!

munchkin_utd · 18-05-2011 4:23pm

christ thats a terror that place.
Especially compared to the proper NRA stops or the midway complex at portlaoise which have massive amounts of parking.

And whats the story with the cars parked on the approach road?
Are they builders or punters that are parking there?
I presume its because theres no parking left in the main place, or is it just Ireland where anything goes and cars get abandoned, not parked?

Amtmann · 18-05-2011 4:37pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

christ thats a terror that place.
Especially compared to the proper NRA stops or the midway complex at portlaoise which have massive amounts of parking.

And whats the story with the cars parked on the approach road?
Are they builders or punters that are parking there?
I presume its because theres no parking left in the main place, or is it just Ireland where anything goes and cars get abandoned, not parked?

They were a mixture of builders and punters. The excuse was that because there were so many builders on site, proper parking spaces were all used up. But regardless, there's not enough parking to cope with the demand of a busy summer's day.

I really must re-emphasise what I consider to be the danger of not segregating HGV and car traffic sufficiently.

-Corkie- · 18-05-2011 4:41pm

Tremelo wrote: »

They were a mixture of builders and punters. The excuse was that because there were so many builders on site, proper parking spaces were all used up. But regardless, there's not enough parking to cope with the demand of a busy summer's day.

I really must re-emphasise what I consider to be the danger of not segregating HGV and car traffic sufficiently.

In the UK the trucks are segregated from the cars once they merge of the Motorway. Seperate parking for trucks and cars. Trust Ireland to make a hash of it.

I had to laugh though when I seen your pics and the cars up on the footpath...

Amtmann · 18-05-2011 8:14pm

And to think the NRA Cashel MSA has been pulled for this :mad:

Carawaystick · 18-05-2011 11:33pm

Tremelo wrote: »

And to think the NRA Cashel MSA has been pulled for this :mad:

Did the NRA or RSA make any observations through the planing process???

Aidan1 · 19-05-2011 9:44am

A cynic would suggest that this merely shows the reason why the NRA chose the model they did for their MSA - the private sector simply wouldn't build big enough to future proof the services.

But I'm not a cynic, and will instead ask the critical question that will be burning in the mind of anyone who travels that road regularly. Whats the coffee like?

L1011 · 19-05-2011 9:46am

-Corkie- wrote: »

In the UK the trucks are segregated from the cars once they merge of the Motorway. Seperate parking for trucks and cars. Trust Ireland to make a hash of it.

As they are at the NRA services.

John C · 29-09-2011 12:25am

Taken on my flight Cork to Munich this summer

John C · 29-09-2011 12:34am

This was taken on my flight into Cork

Chris_5339762 · 29-09-2011 5:55pm

John C wrote: »

Taken on my flight Cork to Munich this summer

First one of these is the Bandon Road Roundabout

The second is indeed the Glanmire bypass.

Stinicker · 29-09-2011 6:56pm

John C wrote: »

This was taken on my flight into Cork

Bombadier open the bomb bay doors..... arm bombs... bombs away!

cml387 · 14-11-2011 3:43pm

On the M8, southbound,about ten kilometers south of of Junction 11 Cahir South,something odd seems to be happening.

The road rises gradually and turns to the right, and there is a sound-barrier on the left as well as a crash barrier.

In the period the motorway has been open,this barrier has been crashed into on numerous occasions, as I speak it is busted again and a series of cones have been placed to close the overtaking lane (although no work seems to be happening on this section).

Here's the spooky thing: across the fields is a section of the old N8 which was the scene of a number of crashes (including a number of fatalities) with lorries and cars veering off the road,before the motorway was built.

It's a strange coincidence.

nordydan · 14-11-2011 4:18pm

cml387 wrote: »

On the M8, southbound,about ten kilometers south of of Junction 11 Cahir South,something odd seems to be happening.

The road rises gradually and turns to the right, and there is a sound-barrier on the left as well as a crash barrier.

In the period the motorway has been open,this barrier has been crashed into on numerous occasions, as I speak it is busted again and a series of cones have been placed to close the overtaking lane (although no work seems to be happening on this section).

Here's the spooky thing: across the fields is a section of the old N8 which was the scene of a number of crashes (including a number of fatalities) with lorries and cars veering off the road,before the motorway was built.

It's a strange coincidence.

Are there still a load of travellers parked along the side of the road at that point?

cml387 · 14-11-2011 4:38pm

nordydan wrote: »

Are there still a load of travellers parked along the side of the road at that point?

No they are a summer phenomenon.

It's a bit further south than that in fact.

will3001 · 14-11-2011 5:35pm

Might be to do with the particular position of the sun in the sky, particularly in winter when its low to the ground....

On an aside how they are managing to get away with no fixing the water run-off issue north of Cashel is beyone me...travelled it a week ago and it was pouring rain but the water just sat there on the road, heard on AA roadwatch 1hr later that there was an "incident" near cashel on the M8...twas no surpruse...

vince · 14-11-2011 6:58pm

im not impressed whit this road plus you have to pay for the pleasure.

BrianD · 21-11-2011 3:01pm

There seems to be a lot of incidents on the section at Cahir between J10 and J11. This section, if I'm recall correctly, has an auxillary lane as well. Is there a design issue here?

Amtmann · 21-11-2011 7:11pm

BrianD wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of incidents on the section at Cahir between J10 and J11. This section, if I'm recall correctly, has an auxillary lane as well. Is there a design issue here?

No auxiliary lane and no design issues that I'm aware of. The 2km south of J10 northbound mightn't have the best sightlines, but I've never found it to be an issue at all.

L1011 · 21-11-2011 8:24pm

The aux lane is between 8 and 9 at Cashel.

-Corkie- · 22-11-2011 12:23am

MYOB wrote: »

The aux lane is between 8 and 9 at Cashel.

Whats the purpose of that???

Amtmann · 22-11-2011 12:30am

-Corkie- wrote: »

Whats the purpose of that???

The two junctions are right on top of each other, so it makes more sense to have an auxiliary lane between them.

M8 motorway (general thread)

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