Looking east over Fermoy
I've been using the M8 quite a bit since it opened. A nice road; not brilliant but nice and with a very scary breakdown lane, I doubt a truck will fit into it. Anyway, I deffinately say this test motorway was a success. I absolutely think that this 2 feet of prototype motorway is enough and now the real Dublin to Cork motorway can commence.
Lets face it, this tolled national route is a disaster. It doesnt matter how good the road is if nobody uses it, and nobody is using it. It's funny to enter the motorway at evening and look at all the trucks climbing Watergrass Hill to the left. Nearly every time I use it, I have the motorway to myself.
The only part of the road that kinda looks like an Autobahn. Don't worry folks I was safe, I didnt drive and photograph, I stopped up dead on the motorway first!
[EDIT 05.12.06] Due to some confusion I now clearly state that I did NOT stop to take the pictures... most people got the joke but some didnt =(
8 comments:
Heh, I took the motorway the night it opened, and even then there wasn't a soul on it. Its a very enjoyable experience - no lorries, no guards, no micras going 17mph... its like you're in a video game.
It's not very nice for the residents of Watergrasshill. Also, the gov have basically handed over 2KM of private road to DirectRoute Ltd. The exit should've been after the WGH slip road, before the toll bridge, but I suspect this was done to sweeten the deal for the developers. Backfired spectacularly.
Can abody tell me what its like during rush-hour's? Is Fermoy still jammers? Or is it like I imagine, just about 50-50 on each?
It's me in the Micra. I can drive in to Fermoy between 6 and 7pm without any of the old hold-ups now; as for the mornings, I don't know, because it's the Cork side of Fermoy I'm starting from. The new road's great and all if the difference in journey time between 60 and 80 miles an hour over ten miles is important. At least it feels as though you're saving time. (Fermoy's begrudgers should note that Friday is just a busy day full stop, M8 or no M8.)
Mate I don't know what is more dangerous... You taking a photo while driving, or you stopping like an eejit in the middle of the Motorway to take a photo. Get some sense man, no wonder the carnage on the roads in this country isn't getting any better with attitudes to safety like this...
Travelling from Clonmel to Cork, I purposely went through fermoy itself, hoping to take the 'old' road. Why pay an extra tax?. Cork side of Fermoy, I went into this small 'junction' with a signpost for CORK. Thinking I'd avoided the Motorway, I took it. Found myself on this Tax Collector and couldn't get off it - even at the Toll I couldn't go back in order to get on the R Roads. So basically what I'm saying is that there should be an alternative route to Cork signposted instead of doing a Dick Turpin on us. Will know in future though and won't be paying extra taxes.
Looks rather nice! Being from M50-land I can only dream of empty motorways - or travel to Kinnegad on the M4!
Similar situation; all the trucks leave the motorway at Kilcock and take the old road to avoid the toll, leaving the spanking new M-way to a few cars.
Still worth it. You can go 25 miles in 18 minutes for €2.50, one hand on the wheel, one on the phone, one foot on and gas and one on the resting on the dashboard.
Though I wouldn't recommend stopping to take a pic!
Thanks for the comments anon and goodfairy. Yes I agree, the motorway is the only way to travel if you want to relax. What I've noticed is the agression of drivers on the old fermoy road. Jeez they'd blow you off the raod now if you arent doing at least 110kph (limit on it has been reduced from 100 to 80).
So anon you travel from Clonmel to Cork eh? Interesting :D Anyway, I also agree with your point about the signposting, its totally shite... I got lost twice going to cork through watergrass hill and have you seen the new "bypass" they made for watergrass hill!? Add's about 5 files to the journey if you follow the signs out of cork!
I think this needs another post!
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