NEW MOTORWAY SECTION TO OPEN FOR BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND
The final section of the M8 motorway from Cork to Dublin is set to open in time for the June bank holiday weekend.
It will then be possible to travel on motorways from Cork to Dublin and on to Limerick. The Dublin to Waterford section is set to be completed later this year.
The National Roads Authority announced the final stretch of the M8, the wishbone shaped Portlaoise to Cullahill scheme, will open on May 28. There will be two tolls on the route and the opening of the €405m Portlaoise to Cullahill scheme completes the state’s investment of almost €2.6 billion on the entire 250km route from Dublin’s M50 to Cork’s Dunkettle interchange.
The cost works out at about €10.4 million per kilometer.
The 40km Y-shaped section will take Cork-bound traffic from the existing Portlaoise bypass to the existing M8 at Cullahill.
It will also take Limerick-bound traffic from the Portlaoise bypass to Castletown, where remaining sections of the M7 Limerick motorway are under construction.
The route will bypass the towns of Abbeyleix, Durrow and Cullahill in county Laois and is expected to cut the journey time from the M50 to Dunkettle by as much as 45 minutes.
At 250km, it should be possible to drive from Cork to the Red Cow outside Dublin in about two hours and 30 minutes, allowing for lower speed limits along sections such as Newlands Cross in Dublin.
The M8 will feature a new toll on the Portlaoise to Cullahill section, costing €1.80 for a passenger car.
This is in addition to the existing toll of €1.90 on the route at Fermoy.
Published:
Thursday 20th May 6:51pm
