[Article] Motorway Service Area Massacre

mike65 · 01-03-2010 2:35pm #1

NRA puts motorway service area plans on hold

THE National Roads Authority (NRA) has parked plans to build nine of the 12 service stations that had been earmarked for Ireland’s motorways.

Department of Transport funding for the construction, maintenance and improvement of national roads has been cut by €325 million this year. And proposed service areas are among the projects which have been put on hold.

"There are three service areas under construction and scheduled to open by the end of 2010. The minister for transport has decided that, in view of the current economic difficulties, the authority should refrain from investing further Exchequer funds in service areas until the economic situation improves," said an NRA spokesman.

As a stop-gap measure, the NRA has decided to erect "informational (brown) signs" on dual carriageways where petrol facilities are located within a kilometre of a junction.

"This is being implemented for existing facilities and will be extended to new facilities if and when they are built," the NRA spokesperson stated.

In 2008, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey signed-off the necessary regulations giving effect to provisions in the Road Act 2007 to facilitate service areas along national routes.

It was intended, at that juncture, to provide 12 service stations on five inter-urban motorways by 2011

Hi-ho, how much will this save, bearing in mind these areas will be commerical concerns first and foremost (I presume) why not just licence them to a consortium of interested parties? Has anyone thought of this? Filling station + shops + lesiure = cash.

munchkin_utd · 01-03-2010 2:54pm

mike65 wrote: »

NRA puts motorway service area plans on hold

As a stop-gap measure, the NRA has decided to erect "informational (brown) signs" on dual carriageways where petrol facilities are located within a kilometre of a junction.

The article is nothing new.

And neither are the brown signs. There are already brown signs to dump you off the motorway onto the R road network without a further iota of guidance as to where the god forsaken promised petrol and toilet stop may be found.

I've already mailed the NRA about it but aparantly its not their problem
(... if you end up in an accident from being totally thrown by not knowing where to go for your petrol the moment you have exited their "M" road territory!!)

The NRA only tell you to exit the motorway. The council is supposedly then responsible for guiding you to the services.
Despite the fact that you are making an inter city journey, have temporarily left an inter city road, guided by large motorway signs, that are erected essentially to compensate for the tightness of the motorway authorities in not building service areas themselves.
The NRA is in charge of intercity roads and as a consequence, the traffic and users of these roads

(maybe the county council should errect and pay for signs on the local roads to and from the motorways, BUT the NRA should ensure that intercity motorists are looked after with proper signage immediately beyond the motorways)

Zoney · 01-03-2010 3:18pm

To be honest, to do this properly not only would the NRA have to signpost all the way to the "services" properly, but also some sort of framework/control over the businesses would have to be in place to ensure minimum consistent standards (e.g. opening hours, facilities continue to match those signposted, etc.). I.e. incorporate existing facilitities into a genuine MSA framework (even if being cheap and not bothering to create actual genuine MSAs).

While I want to see proper MSAs, the above would be better than *nothing* in the interim.

munchkin_utd · 01-03-2010 3:38pm

Wouldnt disagree, i.e. only places that are up to scratch get the intercity traffic diverted to them.

If anything, quick thinking business people from these areas should be looking to set up stations near junctions that would be convenient to the intercity traveller.

If you travel by road on the continent you will notice the massive 100ft tall masts with Oil company logos near regular junctions to alert you to the unofficial service area just off the motorway.
A solution like that even would do the job in Ireland and probably render official service areas unneeded in the longer term.

Chris_5339762 · 01-03-2010 6:16pm

This is stupid and I've always said that. But these MSAs are all being done wrongly, private companies would relish the chance to build these but doing them as they are is dumb.

As a stop-gap measure, the NRA has decided to erect "informational (brown) signs" on dual carriageways where petrol facilities are located within a kilometre of a junction.

This however is really good. Shouldnt cost much and will provide all the information people need for now.

etchyed · 02-03-2010 4:44pm

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

all the information people need

Did you read any of the posts above yours?

hi5 · 02-03-2010 5:06pm

Will any of the brown signs be at the turnoffs just before tolls?:)

murphym7 · 02-03-2010 5:38pm

If I could get the finance from the bank and I was allowed to build a service's area by the NRA I would do it myself and I'm sure there are others out there who could/would do the same. Is there a reason they have to be built by the NRA? Is it so they keep control of the services area's?

L1011 · 02-03-2010 7:01pm

hi5 wrote: »

Will any of the brown signs be at the turnoffs just before tolls?:)

Seeing as they already have these on most tolls showing you the non tolled route, I don't see why not.

02-03-2010 9:58pm

The petrol station on the east bound carriageway at Ballybrit in Galway has a sign along the lines of:
'Last petrol station before Dublin'

L1011 · 03-03-2010 12:55am

Deleted User wrote: »

The petrol station on the east bound carriageway at Ballybrit in Galway has a sign along the lines of:
'Last petrol station before Dublin'

Which is true, if you ignore stations sitting beside the road (such as in Kilbeggan, Maynooth, etc) that just aren't signed properly.

When the final section of the Newry BP opens to traffic (days rather than weeks) it will be possible to drive from Galway to close to Ballymoney in Antrim on dual carriageways and pass ONE petrol station on your side of the road. North of Ballymena. Reverse the journey and I think theres two stations on that side of the A1, and one on the N4

Sponge Bob · 03-03-2010 1:18am

download all the data into your GPS from pumps.ie

http://www.pumps.ie/viewPost.php?Post_ID=166

03-03-2010 3:33am

munchkin_utd wrote: »

If you travel by road on the continent you will notice the massive 100ft tall masts with Oil company logos near regular junctions to alert you to the unofficial service area just off the motorway.
A solution like that even would do the job in Ireland and probably render official service areas unneeded in the longer term.

There's plenty of "unofficial" signage near many offline service areas already, just have to look in the fields before the junctions.

Kilmartin roundabout in Athlone for example.

marmurr1916 · 03-03-2010 11:12pm

murphym7 wrote: »

If I could get the finance from the bank and I was allowed to build a service's area by the NRA I would do it myself and I'm sure there are others out there who could/would do the same. Is there a reason they have to be built by the NRA? Is it so they keep control of the services area's?

Good question. Why can't they allow private companies to build them? I'm pretty sure that the NRA could set out terms and conditions to ensure that any privately-built service areas would be built and run to a high standard. They could even take a share of the profits.

Maybe the NRA think that potential builders and developers would be too busy...

popebenny16 · 04-03-2010 4:55pm

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Good question. Why can't they allow private companies to build them? I'm pretty sure that the NRA could set out terms and conditions to ensure that any privately-built service areas would be built and run to a high standard. They could even take a share of the profits.

Maybe the NRA think that potential builders and developers would be too busy...

no idea, its nuts, i knnew someone who wanted to build one adjacent o the M7 in Laois, told nope, NRA are doing it.

So does this mean noen of the twelve are being built, or just three?

L1011 · 04-03-2010 5:26pm

Going on third hand stories, I was told that someone had approached the NRA about the time the motorway from Dunleer to Dundalk was built offering to build an MSA, self-funded, single sided with GSJ to access it and the NRA point blank refused. He already owned the land.

munchkin_utd · 04-03-2010 5:44pm

the one thing to bear in mind is that some places might not be suitable for a service area,
i.e. must not be a certain number of km from an existing junction, local road existing access(to the rear for deliverys/ fir during construction etc) might be a prerequisite

I amn't making excuses for the NRA, but they might (small might) have reasons that certain places aren't suitable for rest stops.

Another thing to note is that the NRA is a government organisation and they possibly cant just allow farmer x or businessman y to build without taking into consideration their responsibility to do a europewide bidding process.

Its slightly similar, but the underground in Munich decided to allow a local company to install tv monitors with news and advertising at the company's own cost in the underground trains. It was a great service till the EU butted in and said that this was illegal because the public body didnt go through the EU tendering process and the company was made rip everything out again and shut down the service.
Maybe the NRA is worrying they could end up in a similar pickle if they arbitrarily allowed stations to be built???

Chris_5339762 · 04-03-2010 6:43pm

No, this is simply down to the cutting of funds by the government. That is why these are stopping. The only reason the M1 ones and Enfield are being built is because they were the first ready to go and got signed off before the axe fell.

sonnyblack · 19-10-2020 10:51am

Any current plans for a Motorway service station on the M18? Badly needed.

Sam Russell · 20-10-2020 10:25am

Mod: This thread is 10 years old. Either find an appropriate one that is much more recent, or open a new one.

Thread closed.

[Article] Motorway Service Area Massacre

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