M7 motorway (Ireland)
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| M7 motorway | |
 |
|
| Part of National Road |  |
| Current length | 63 km (40 mi) |
| Planned length | 175 km (110 mi) |
| Direction | N.E.-S.W. |
| Start | (N7 from Dublin) Naas |
| Primary destinations | Newbridge, Monasterevin, Portlaoise (N8 to Cork) |
| End | Mountrath (N7 to Limerick) |
| Construction dates | 1983 (Naas bypass, J7-J8) 1993 (Newbridge Bypass, J8-J10) 1997 (Portlaoise bypass) 2003 (Kildare bypass) 2004 (Monasterevin bypass) – |
| Motorways joined |  -  M9 motorway  -  M8 motorway (upon completion)
|
| Other National Roads joined |  - N80 - N8 road |
| Euroroute(s) |  |
The M7 motorway (Irish: Mótarbhealach M7) is a motorway in Ireland that runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas in County Kildare to south of Portlaoise in County Laois. The M7 forms part of the Dublin to Limerick N7 national primary road. The section of the motorway bypassing Naas, an 8 km stretch, was the first section of motorway to open in the Republic of Ireland, in 1983. Substantial works are underway to extend the M7 to Limerick; by 2010, the motorway will have replaced almost all of the single-carriageway N7.
Contents |
[edit] Route
[edit] Naas to Portlaoise
The N7 leads directly into the M7 motorway at the Maudlin's Interchange near Naas. This is junction 9 on the N7-M7 corridor. As of September 2008, the M7 is approximately 60km in length and ends at Portlaoise (junction 18).
The M7 was constructed in stages between 1983 and 2004 to replace the old national route which ran through the villages and towns of Naas (1983), Newbridge (1993), Kildare (2003), Monasterevin (2004), and Portlaoise (1997). Today, junctions provide access to all of these towns and villages. The old route has been re-classified as a regional road, the R445. A restricted-access junction (junction 11) connects the M7 to the M9 motorway to Waterford, also allowing access from the M9 to eastbound carriageway of the M7.
Until summer 2006, junction numbers started at seven, although only the first five junctions were numbered. This junction numbering scheme was devised when it was believed that a motorway would be built from Naas to the yet-to-be-constructed junction 8 on the M50. While a motorway reservation still exists, it is now unlikely to be built, having being superseded by the widening of the N7 between Newlands Cross and Naas to three lanes and the grade separation of this section. The junction numbers were renumbered to fit into this scheme in July-August 2006.
[edit] Junctions
| N7 dual carriageway | |||
| Northbound exit | Junction | Southbound exit | |
M50 motorway  |
 |
N/A | |
| Newlands Cross (at grade); Belgard Road for Tallaght; Fonthill Road for Clondalkin (R113) |
— | Newlands Cross (at grade); Belgard Road for Tallaght; Fonthill Road for Clondalkin (R113) |
|
| Kingswood Interchange: Outer Ring Road (R136) |  |
Kingswood Interchange: Outer Ring Road (R136) | |
| Citywest Road (N82) |  |
Citywest Road (N82) | |
| Rathcoole |  |
Rathcoole | |
| Steelstown Interchange: Steelstown |  |
Steelstown Interchange: Steelstown | |
| Castlewarden Interchange: Castlewarden (R445) |  |
Castlewarden Interchange: Castlewarden (R445) | |
| Kill Interchange: Kill (R445) |  |
Kill Interchange: Kill (R445) | |
| Johnstown Interchange: Johnstown (R445) |  |
Johnstown Interchange: Johnstown (R445) | |
| M7 motorway | |||
| Northbound exit | Junction | Southbound exit | |
| Maudlin's Interchange: Naas, Sallins (R445) | |
Maudlin's Interchange: Naas, Sallins (R445) | |
| Newbridge, Caragh and Togher services |
 |
Newbridge, Caragh and Togher services | |
| No access |
|
The SOUTH EAST (M9 )
|
|
| The Curragh, Newbridge (R445) |
 |
The Curragh | |
| Kildare, Nurney (R415) |
 |
Kildare Nurney (R415) | |
| Monasterevin (R445) |
 |
Monasterevin (R445) | |
| Portarlington, Emo, The Heath (R423) |
 |
Portarlington, Emo, The Heath (R423) | |
| Portlaoise (R445) (Carlow, Tullamore, N80) |
|
Portlaoise (R445) (Carlow, Tullamore, N80) | |
| Cork, Cashel (N8); Portlaoise (R423) |
|
Cork, Cashel (N8); Portlaoise (R423) | |
| Portlaoise (R445) |  |
No access | |
| M7 motorway (under construction) | |||
| Northbound exit | Junction | Southbound exit | Completion |
| Toll plaza | Q4 2010[1] | ||
| No access |
|
The SOUTH (M8 )
|
|
| Coolfin (Restricted, local access, near Aghaboe) |
 |
Coolfin (Restricted, local access, near Aghaboe) | |
| Borris-in-Ossory |
 |
Borris-in-Ossory | Q3 2010[2] |
| Roscrea Templemore |
 |
Roscrea Templemore | |
| Moneygall |
 |
Moneygall | |
| Toomevara, Nenagh (R445) |
 |
Toomevara, Nenagh (R445) | |
| Knockalton, Nenagh, Thurles (R498) |
 |
Knockalton, Nenagh, Thurles (R498) | Q2 2009[3] |
| Carrigatoher, Nenagh (R445) |
 |
Carrigatoher, Nenagh (R445) | |
| Birdhill |
 |
Birdhill | |
| N7 DC (motorway status pending) | |||
| Northbound exit | Junction | Southbound exit | |
| Annacotty, Limerick (R445), Newport (R503) |
 |
Annacotty, Limerick (R445), Newport (R503) | |
| Ballysimon (N24) |
 |
Ballysimon (N24) | |
| Rossbrien (N20) |
 |
Rossbrien (N20) | |
| N7 dual carraigeway (under construction) | |||
| Northbound exit | Junction | Southbound exit | Completion |
| Dock Road (N69) |
 |
Dock Road (N69) | Q4 2010[4] |
| Shannon Tunnel | |||
| Coonagh West |
 |
Coonagh West | |
| End of N7, start of N18. | |||
[edit] Future
[edit] Motorway redesignations affecting the M7
On 30 September, the Irish National Roads Authority released the second tranche of potential motorway redesignations. These include parts of the present N7/M7 route.
The M7 is currently planned to end at junction 28, where it blends into the N7 southern ring road scheme. If the redesignations go ahead (they are subject to ministerial approval), 8.5km of the Limerick southern-ring and the N7/N20 interchange (and all relevant slip-roads) would be redesignated to motorway standard.[5])
[edit] Sections under construction
As of 2008, all sections yet to be completed are under construction. By the end of 2010, the M7 motorway will be complete and will include up to 18 junctions (running from junction 9 to junction 27 on the N7-M7 corridor).
- In June 2007, construction commenced on a 28 km section of the M7 motorway between Portlaoise and Castletown. It includes a tie-in to the new 143 km M8, which is also under construction. This M7 scheme will run between junctions 18 and 21 on the N7-M7 corridor and will bypass Borris-in-Ossory. The project is due to be finished in late 2010, and will be subject to toll north of the new M7-M8 interchange.[6]
- In March 2008, construction commenced on a 36km section of the M7 route between Castletown and Nenagh. This will tie in to the Portlaoise-Castletown scheme mentioned above at the Borris-in-Ossory junction. When complete, it will run between junctions 21 and 24 on the N7-M7 corridor.[7] This scheme was originally planned to proceed as a High Quality Dual Carriageway (HQDC), which would have seen it built to the same engineering standard as a motorway, however a Statutory Instrument was passed on 17 July 2008, re-designating this and many other new HQDC schemes as motorway. Consequently, when this scheme is complete in late 2010, it will open with full motorway regulations.[8]
- Work on a major improvement project began on 7 December 2006 which will upgrade the route from Limerick to Nenagh.[9] This scheme will involve 28 km of new motorway. Another 10 km will involve the upgrading of the existing Nenagh bypass from single carriageway to standard dual carriageway (this will also be classed as motorway, despite not being fully up to the usual standard). The new Limerick-Nenagh road is expected to be completed by mid-2009. The 28 km of new road to be constructed for this particular scheme was originally to be built as a HQDC, but it too was re-designated motorway by Statutory Instrument on 17 July 2008. The upgraded Nenagh bypass is also included as part of the redesignation, but a 100 km/h speed limit will continue to apply along its length.
- Upon completion, the M7 will be approximately 175 km (110 mi) long (excluding parts of the N7 that may be redesignated), making it the longest motorway in the state. If various other schemes on the N7 were to be redesignated motorway, the route could reach up to 200km in length.
[edit] Proposed service areas
The National Roads Authority plans to construct motorway service areas at approximately 60-kilometre intervals along each of Ireland's interurban routes. Under this plan, the M7 will have two such areas: one will be located near Mountrath (junction 15), while the other will be sited between Nenagh and Roscrea, near junction 23.[10] As of January 2009, no details regarding the physical construction of the M7 service areas have been announced.
[edit] Widening
It is planned to widen 13 km of the existing two-lane dual carriageway to D3M standard between the maudlin's interchange (J9) and the M7/M9 junction (J11).[11] The upgrade would include widening the existing carriageways to three lanes in each direction and modifying bridges and junctions on the route to accomodate the extra lane.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N8PortlaoisetoCullahillCastletown/SchemeName,15066,en.html
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N7CastletowntoNenagh/SchemeName,15067,en.html
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LimerickCountyCouncil/N7NenaghLimerick/SchemeName,15078,en.html
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LimerickCountyCouncil/N7LimerickTunnelLSRRPhase2/SchemeName,15077,en.html
- ^ http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10978-8.pdf
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N8PortlaoisetoCullahillCastletown/Map,15444,en.pdf
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LaoisCountyCouncil/N7CastletowntoNenagh/Map,15445,en.pdf
- ^ http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=10193&lang=ENG&loc=2270
- ^ http://n7nenaghtolimerick.com/
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/Publications/ServicesAreasEIS/M1SouthMotorwayServiceArea/file,14391,en.pdf NRA p.25.
- ^ http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KildareCountyCouncil/N7NaasNewbridgeBypassUpgrade/SchemeName,15698,en.html
[edit] External links
- Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006 – Department of Transport
- M7 Portlaoise to Castletown scheme website
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