M8 motorway (Ireland)

IRL motorway routebox
parent =
motorway = M8
length-km = 61
length-mi = 38
length-km-planned = 155
length-mi-planned = 96
direction = N.E.-S.W.
start = Portlaoise
destinations = Fermoy, Cahir, Cashel
end = Watergrasshill
opening-date = 2004
completion-date = 2010
junctions = (upon completion)
N-roads = N24, N74
euroroute =

The M8 motorway ( _ga. Mótarbhealach M8) is a motorway in Ireland, forming part of the N8 Dublin to Cork national primary route. Substantial works are underway to extend the M8 from its proposed junction with the M7 at Portlaoise to Watergrasshill in County Cork. By late 2010 the motorway will have replaced almost all of the single-carriageway except for a small section of urban road in Cork City.

Route

Currently, the motorway exists in two parts: the 17.5 km Fermoy to Rathcormac bypass, [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/CorkCountyCouncil/N8FermoyWatergrasshill/Map,15505,en.pdf] and the 37 km Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme, [http://www.nra.ie/News/DownloadableDocumentation/file,15369,en.pdf] which ties into the 6.7 km Cashel Bypass.

Fermoy to Watergrasshill

This section of the M8, bypassing both Fermoy and Rathcormac, is a toll road, linking up to the Watergrasshill bypass. Construction started in June 2004 and was completed in October 2006. The stretch comprises junctions 14 through 17. Toll plazas are located between junctions 16 and 17 and at the southbound exit of junction 15. The current toll for cars is €1.80. The road is operated by Direct Route. [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/CorkCountyCouncil/N8FermoyWatergrasshill/SchemeName,15505,en.html]

Cashel to Mitchelstown

This 37 km stretch of motorway was fully opened with a 100 km/h speed limit on 25 July 2008, some 10 months ahead of schedule. Twelve kilometres of the scheme had already opened nine months prior to this. This previously opened stretch, located between Cahir and Cashel, runs between junctions 9 and 10 on the M8, and opened as a dual carraigeway-standard section of the then N8 with green signage. This green signage had since been replaced with blue motorway signage, in preparation for the motorway redesignation changeover, which came into effect on 24 September 2008 at midnight. [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/SouthTipperaryCountyCouncil/N8CashelMitchelstown/SchemeName,15402,en.html]

Cashel bypass

The €48 million 6.7 km Cashel bypass opened as a standard dual carriageway section of the N8 in October 2004, with a speed limit of 100 km/h. [http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/5959-0.pdf] On 17 July 2008, it was officially redesignated a motorway by Statutory Instrument. This came into effect on September 24, 2008. Blue cantilever signage has now replaced the green signage erected in 2004 in preparation for this changeover.

When the "Cashel to Mitchelstown Scheme" opened in July 2008, its northern end was fused with the southern end of the Cashel bypass, making the two projects the same road. This was done by removing the at-grade roundabout at the start of the bypass and replacing it with a new extended dumbbell interchange. The same will happen at the northern end of the Cashel bypass when the "Cashel to Cullahill Scheme" is completed; then the M8 will run from Cullahill in County Laois to 1 km south of Kilbeheny in County Cork.

Future

Motorway redesignations affecting the M8

On 30 September 2008, the Irish National Roads Authority released the second tranche of potential motorway redesignations. These include parts of the present N8/M8 route.

The M8 currently ends at Junction 17, where it blends into the N8 Watergrasshill bypass. If the redesignations go ahead (they are subject to ministerial approval), both the Watergrasshill bypass and Glanmire to Dunkettle stretches would be redesignated to motorway standard (although a 100 km/h speed limit would have to be kept between Junctions 18 and 19. [http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10978-9.pdf] )

Sections under construction

As of 2008, all sections yet to be completed are under construction. By the end of 2010, the M8 motorway will be completed and will include up to 19 junctions.
*The construction of an upgrade between Portlaoise and Cullahill is in progress. It will provide a motorway south of Portlaoise that will diverge from the M7 as the M8 motorway. [http://www.m7m8scheme.ie/eis/pdfs/EIS_M7M8_Volume6_Fig1-10.pdf] This project, the "Portlaoise-Castletown-Cullahill PPP Scheme", will extend motorway from Naas in County Kildare to Cullahill on the current N8 (the scheme also extends the M7 from Portlaoise to Castletown). The motorway will be subject to toll south of Portlaoise on the M7 before the junction with the M8. Construction began in June 2007, and is expected to last until late 2010. [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N8PortlaoisetoCullahillCastletown/SchemeName,15444,en.html]
*The Cullahill to Cashel section will add a further 40 km of motorway to the M8. Construction began on 5 October 2006. When complete, the scheme will directly connect at its southern end with the northern end of the Cashel bypass, which opened in 2004. Officially, the Cullahill to Cashel project is not scheduled to be completed until June 2009. [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KilkennyCountyCouncil/M8N8CullahilltoCashel/SchemeName,15475,en.html]
*The final remaining project on the M8 corridor is the 22 km "Mitchelstown to Fermoy Scheme". Starting at junction 12 south of Kilbeheny, it will provide motorway to just north of Fermoy, where it will blend into the existing M8 Fermoy bypass (junction 14). Construction started in December 2007, and is progressing very quickly. If the present rate of construction is maintained, the scheme will open for public use by April 2009. [http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/CorkCountyCouncil/N8MitchelstownFermoy/SchemeName,15514,en.html]
*Upon completion, the M8 will be approximately 155 km (96 mi) in length.

Proposed service areas

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has planned the construction of motorway service areas at approximately 60-kilometre intervals along each of Ireland's interurban routes. [http://www.independent.ie/national-news/breakfast-roll-man-gets-grub-guarantee-1429938.html] Under this plan, the M8 will have two such areas. One will be located south of junction 9, while the other will be sited between junctions 13 and 14. [ [http://www.nra.ie/Publications/ServicesAreasEIS/M1SouthMotorwayServiceArea/file,14391,en.pdf NRA p.25.] As of October 2008, no details regarding the physical construction of the M8 service stations have been announced.

Junctions

References

External links

* [http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=10193&lang=ENG&loc=2270 Motorway re-designation]