M8 Junction 6
Junction 6 of the M8 is approximately the mid-way point between
Cork and Dublin on the M7/8 corridor. This spot is perfect to stop
off for a wee and tea. There is a hotel next to the cache site that
does a good cup of tea and in the absence of any Motorway Service
Areas (MSAs), is ideal to relieve natures call.
The M8
The M8 motorway (Irish: Mótarbhealach M8) is an inter-urban
motorway in Ireland, which forms the Dublin to Cork road. The
motorway commences in County Laois and runs through counties
Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick and Cork. First called for in the
Road Needs Study (1998), and later incorporated into both the
National Development Plan (2000–2006) and, later, the Irish
Government's Transport 21 plan for infrastructural development, the
majority of the M8 (115 km) was built between 2006 and 2010. On 28
May 2010, the M8 was completed and had replaced almost all of the
single-carriageway N8 except for a short section of urban road in
Cork City.
The route starts in the townland of Aghaboe, County Laois, at a
motorway-to-motorway interchange with the M7. From here it proceeds
southwards, passing under the R434 and R433 roads until it runs
parallel to the single-carriageway R639 road, bypassing Abbeyleix,
Durrow, Cullahill, Johnstown, Urlingford, Littleton, Horse and
Jockey, Cashel, New Inn, Cahir, Skeheenarinky, Kilbeheny,
Mitchelstown, Kilworth Mountain, Fermoy, Rathcormac, Watergrasshill
and Glanmire. Between its junction with the M7 and Dunkettle the M8
passes through pasture in County Laois, and over bogland and
coniferous forest through County Kilkenny and North Tipperary.
South of Cashel, it enters the lush pastoral landscape of the
Golden Vale and crosses the River Suir west of Cahir. The motorway
then travels south-west along the Galtee Mountains, passing
Glengarra Wood and Mitchelstown Cave. East of the route, the
Knockmealdown Mountains and the Comeraghs are starkly visible. The
M8 crosses into County Cork south of Kilbeheny and proceeds south
to the east of Mitchelstown, before skirting around the base of
Kilworth Mountain through pastoral farmland and demesne parkland.
At Moorepark, some 5 km north of Fermoy, the M8 is tolled for the
next 17.5 kilometres. This tolled section is notable for
incorporating an impressive 450m viaduct crossing of the River
Blackwater. Toll plazas are located between junctions 16 and 17 and
at the southbound exit of junction 15. Many motorists, particularly
lorry drivers, drive through Fermoy, Rathcormac and Watergrasshill
to avoid the toll. In 2006 the Irish Road Haulage Association
advised its members not to use the toll road, because they
considered it to be too expensive. Consequently, traffic volumes
through Watergrasshill increased by about 6,000 vehicles (of which
approximately 1,100 were lorries) per day at the end of that year.
By the end of 2008 increasing numbers of vehicles were opting to
pay the toll. The M8 continues south, bypassing Watergrasshill,
Sallybrook, Riverstown and Glanmire, before ending 450m north of
the Jack Lynch Tunnel at the approach to the Dunkettle Interchange,
which connects it with the N25 to Waterford and the N8 to Cork city
centre. Despite having a nominal nineteen junctions, the motorway
in fact only has eighteen, due to the fact that the proposed
junction 2 was never constructed. Its planned proximity to the M7/8
junction meant that it would have been difficult to make the M7/8
junction full-access at some point in the future. Similarly,
junction 20 of the M7 was refused planning permission.
History
The M8 was constructed in eight stages between 1985 and 2010.
Some of the sections which now form part of the M8 were initially
opened as dual-carriageway and previously formed part of the N8,
while other sections were opened as motorway.
In chronological order, the various sections opened as follows
(status on opening in brackets):
* Glanmire Bypass (April 1992, as dual carriageway) - junctions
19 to 18;
* Watergrasshill Bypass (September 2003), as HQDC - junctions 17
to 18;
* Cashel Bypass (October 2004, as standard dual carriageway) -
junctions 7 through 9;
* Fermoy Bypass (October 2006, as motorway) - junction 14
through 17;
* Cashel-Mitchelstown (July 2008, as HQDC) - junctions 9 through
12;
* Cashel-Cullahill (December 2008, as motorway) - junctions 7
through 4;
* Mitchelstown-Fermoy (May 2009, as motorway) - junctions 12
through 14;
* Cullahill-Portlaoise (May 2010, as motorway) - junctions 4
through 1.
Glanmire Bypass
The Glanmire Bypass opened as a 6.3 km dual carriageway on 3 April
1992, after a construction period of almost seven years,
representing the first major improvement made to the Cork to
Portlaoise corridor. Called for in the 'Land Use and Transportation
Study' (LUTS) Report of 1976, the bypass replaced the older road
through Glanmire village and was envisaged as part of broader
strategic roads upgrade to service an expanding Cork City. Other
components of this plan, such as the N25 South Ring Road and the
Jack Lynch Tunnel, were substantially delivered and operational by
1999. The Glanmire Bypass was built by multiple contractors at a
cost of 45 million punts. It was reclassified as a motorway in July
2009 and was officially incorporated into the rest of the M8 route
on 28 August 2009.
Watergrasshill Bypass
The Watergrasshill Bypass was the second section of grade separated
dual carriageway to open on the Cork-Portlaoise route. It opened on
12 September 2003, at a cost of €144 million. Built by Mowlem
and Bowen in partnership, the seven kilometre route replaced a
winding and narrow section of the older N8 (now the R639) through
Watergrasshill and Sallybrook villages. The Watergrasshill Bypass
was the cause of some controversy in October 2006 when its northern
junction was incorporated into the tolled 'Fermoy Bypass' section
of the M8, as, previously, it had been untolled. As with the
Glanmire Bypass, the Watergrasshill Bypass officially became a part
of the M8 on 28 August 2009.
Cashel Bypass
Construction of the €48 million 6.7 km Cashel bypass began in
May 2003 and it opened to traffic in October 2004 with a speed
limit of 100 km/h. Originally classified as a standard dual
carriageway section of the then N8, the scheme was officially
redesignated a motorway by Statutory Instrument on 17 July 2008.
This change came into effect on September 24 in the same year and
blue motorway signage replaced the green signage erected in 2004.
In addition, the speed limit was increased to 120 km/h. The Cashel
bypass opened initially with at-grade roundabouts at both ends.
When the Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme opened in July 2008, the
southern end of the bypass was fused with the northern end of that
scheme by removing the at-grade roundabout and replacing it with a
new extended dumbbell interchange. The same happened at its
northern end when the Cashel to Cullahill project was built. The
project was built by Roadbridge Ltd.
Fermoy Bypass
Construction of this 17.5 km tolled scheme started in June 2004 and
was completed on 2 October 2006. This was the first stretch of
actual M8 to open in the country (the Cashel bypass opened as
standard DC in 2004 before its motorway redesignation in mid-2008).
The section was built by Direct Route, who continue to operate and
maintain it.
Cashel-Mitchelstown
Construction of this 37 km length of motorway started in May 2006.
It 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, and opened as a High Quality Dual Carriageway
(HQDC) section of the then N8 with green signage. The green signage
was replaced with blue motorway signage in September 2008 in
preparation for the motorway redesignation changeover, which came
into effect on 24th of that month. The scheme was built by
Roadbridge Sisk JV.
Cashel-Cullahill
Construction of this 40 km stretch started in October 2006 and was
opened to traffic on 8 December 2008, some seven months ahead of
the target completion date. Like four of the other M8 schemes, the
section was originally to open as HQDC with green signage and a 100
km/h limit. However, due to its redesignation as motorway in
September 2008 it opened with full motorway restrictions,
appropriate blue signage and other standard motorway features
(emergency telephones, etc.). The scheme was built by Roadbridge
Sisk JV at a cost of €434 million.
Mitchelstown-Fermoy
Construction of this 16 km scheme started in December 2007. The
section opened to traffic on 25 May 2009, some nine months ahead of
the original target completion date. Like the Cashel-Cullahill
project, the Fermoy-Mitchelstown scheme was redesignated a motorway
during its construction, having originally been envisaged as a
HQDC. It was built by Roadbridge Ltd. at a cost of €174
million. Taking only 15 months to construct, it was by far the
fastest motorway scheme built in the Republic of Ireland.
Cullahill-Portlaoise
This section of the M8 was the penultimate part of the motorway to
enter the construction phase, in June 2007. At 4pm on 28 May 2010
it was the final section of the Dublin-Cork interurban route to
open. The contractor building the scheme was Portlaoise Joint
Venture (PJV), which was acquired by BAM before the project's
completion. The scheme drew national attention during the
preliminary archaeological investigations in January 2006 when over
500 human skeletons from the seventh century were discovered at the
townland of Parknahown just south of Cullahill. The road is under
the management of Midlink M7/M8 Ltd, and cost €491 million
euro to construct.
The cache
Park at the hotel you pass on the way to the cache site. (No
names but its PATENTLY obvious). Have your wee & tea. Then walk
to the cache site. It is a magnetic micro.
The smart among you may notice the awesomeness of the cache
code, GC2M8D2. It has 'M8' in it, and 'D2' stands for two lane each
side divided dual carriageway. Made my day when I noticed that.