M17/M18 - Gort to Tuam [open to traffic]

ongarboy · 08-11-2010 1:33pm

Out of interest, when the Gort to Tuam link is eventually complete in 2014, does this mean Galway city bound motorists from Limerick/Clare etc should continue onto where the M18 meets the M6 (this intersection seems to be very far east of Galway city from the route plan I've seen) - would motorists be better off turning off at nearest junction for Kilcolgan and continuing to city that way? What is envisaged by the NRA/planners etc as the recommended route for Galway city bound motorists from the south?

ki · 08-11-2010 1:47pm

ongarboy wrote: »

Out of interest, when the Gort to Tuam link is eventually complete in 2014, does this mean Galway city bound motorists from Limerick/Clare etc should continue onto where the M18 meets the M6 (this intersection seems to be very far east of Galway city from the route plan I've seen) - would motorists be better off turning off at nearest junction for Kilcolgan and continuing to city that way? What is envisaged by the NRA/planners etc as the recommended route for Galway city bound motorists from the south?

I estimate that it will take less than 10 min from existing termination point of the m6 to the m6/m18 junction.

It won't make sense for people not to take the motorway.

Tech3 · 08-11-2010 2:10pm

westtip wrote: »

Another tragic reminder last night as to why this road must be done.

Agreed and the destination of the bus was to Limerick which would have meant if the M17/M18 was completed years ago this accident may have not occured.

Also it shows that the N17 is not only used for Galway city traffic, a huge number used the road to get to the south on the N18 which has been quashed by many posters before. People may complain about getting from Galway-Tuam on a 30 min commuter run but try getting from N18/N17 south to north is a totally different story altogether. It takes over 3hrs to travel 237km from Limerick-Sligo which is a disgrace. From Limerick-Tuam is 2 hours which is absolute madness!!

munchkin_utd · 08-11-2010 5:09pm

ongarboy wrote: »

Out of interest, when the Gort to Tuam link is eventually complete in 2014, does this mean Galway city bound motorists from Limerick/Clare etc should continue onto where the M18 meets the M6 (this intersection seems to be very far east of Galway city from the route plan I've seen) - would motorists be better off turning off at nearest junction for Kilcolgan and continuing to city that way? What is envisaged by the NRA/planners etc as the recommended route for Galway city bound motorists from the south?

its a good question, and will be interesting to see what happens!!

"the taxpayer"** in the form of the NRA will be paying shadow tolls on the M17/ M18 motorway, so the more that use it, the more it costs the "taxpayer"**

If you wanted to save "the taxpayer"** money, then as few signs as possible should point to the motorway!!
Which would mean those travelling to Galway City from Gort or Tuam directions should be directed off the Motorway at the earliest possible opportunity!!!!

(** by "the taxpayer" I mean "paid from by general central government funds")

westtip · 09-11-2010 1:01am

munchkin_utd wrote: »

(** by "the taxpayer" I mean "paid from by general central government funds")

or you actually mean - the Germans.

munchkin_utd · 09-11-2010 2:23pm

westtip wrote: »

or you actually mean - the Germans.

well.....
only half the workforce in Ireland pay direct taxes

So its not going to be them paying for it!

It does though show you how buggered Ireland is.
"low paid" cant be touched despite being given unafordable over the odds benefits by giveaway budgets
pensioners cant be touched despite being given unafordable over the odds benefits by giveaway budgets
health cant be touched despite the fact that theres 28000 alone in the HSE "administering" something or other. And as someone said, the amount of medicines given out has doubled but the nation isnt twice as healthy as a result!!

new sources of income are going to be needed that arent controversial. And roads like this might become victim.
It would be far fetched to think they'd try and minimise their outlay by putting up signs diverting people away from the motorway, where the state pays the private operator per car travelling on the stretch.

But maybe you could see real user tolls.
And this will have the very same effect!!
commuters from Gort will avoid the motorway
commuters from Tuam will avoid the motorway

westtip · 09-11-2010 7:12pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

well.....
only half the workforce in Ireland pay direct taxes

So its not going to be them paying for it!

It does though show you how buggered Ireland is.
"low paid" cant be touched despite being given unafordable over the odds benefits by giveaway budgets
pensioners cant be touched despite being given unafordable over the odds benefits by giveaway budgets
health cant be touched despite the fact that theres 28000 alone in the HSE "administering" something or other. And as someone said, the amount of medicines given out has doubled but the nation isnt twice as healthy as a result!!

new sources of income are going to be needed that arent controversial. And roads like this might become victim.
It would be far fetched to think they'd try and minimise their outlay by putting up signs diverting people away from the motorway, where the state pays the private operator per car travelling on the stretch.

But maybe you could see real user tolls.
And this will have the very same effect!!
commuters from Gort will avoid the motorway
commuters from Tuam will avoid the motorway

touched on a few wider things there! the country is totally knackered and by all accounts I don't actually think this road is goign to be built, If I was travelling sligo - Shannon - I woudl have no problem paying a toll, if I was a daily commuter - then the toll dodging option would come into play.

Tech3 · 09-11-2010 7:18pm

Same here would pay the toll all the time as it saves nearly an hour from the current road!!!! Cant see commuters using it if there is a toll though. A toll is pointless between Gort-Tuam anywhere south of that is way harder to dodge.

Pete2k · 11-11-2010 2:15am

westtip wrote: »

Another tragic reminder last night as to why this road must be done.

tech2 wrote: »

Agreed and the destination of the bus was to Limerick which would have meant if the M17/M18 was completed years ago this accident may have not occured.

I think blaming this incident on the quality of the current N17 is jumping to conclusions just a bit here. I know this road well and the place where this incident occured is a wide, long and straight stretch of road and in good surface condition and in no way could be compared to say Milltown-Ballindine. Lets wait for the enquiry to determine whether the quality of the road, weather conditions or something else was the actual cause of this incident.

veryangryman · 11-11-2010 9:46am

Pete2k wrote: »

I think blaming this incident on the quality of the current N17 is jumping to conclusions just a bit here. I know this road well and the place where this incident occured is a wide, long and straight stretch of road and in good surface condition and in no way could be compared to say Milltown-Ballindine. Lets wait for the enquiry to determine whether the quality of the road, weather conditions or something else was the actual cause of this incident.

Thing is, you never "find out" about these things

Suffice to say, if it was a head on collision or the car hit the wall head on, a dual carriageway would have 99% ruled out such an occurrance

Pete2k · 11-11-2010 2:08pm

veryangryman wrote: »

Thing is, you never "find out" about these things

Suffice to say, if it was a head on collision or the car hit the wall head on, a dual carriageway would have 99% ruled out such an occurrance

You do usually 'find out' but it's usually well over a year later and often only covered in local media or on the net as the 'main' outlets usually no longer consider it a national story. And while in this instance the enquiry may never be able to say with 100% certainty why this incident happened as both drivers were killed, I think they will still come to a conclusion as to the most likely reason it happened.

Road-Hog · 11-11-2010 2:48pm

veryangryman wrote: »

Thing is, you never "find out" about these things

Suffice to say, if it was a head on collision or the car hit the wall head on, a dual carriageway would have 99% ruled out such an occurrance

Maybe it was down to poor driving/excessive speed in wrong conditions........is personal responsibility or lack of not a factor

Tech3 · 11-11-2010 3:04pm

I think we had our discussion on the indcident now we should leave it there and wait until we know the hard facts of what actually happened when they become available. Lets get back to discussing the scheme.

Has anyone heard anymore on the contract being signed. According to this article it will be signed by year end. Was it not meant to be during October originally?

Sponge Bob · 12-11-2010 8:47am

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1112/flooding.html

The IFA delegation he will meet will tell him that farmers who suffered massive flood damage last year believe that very little progress has been made on vitally important drainage schemes.
They will also brief him on their concerns over the National Roads Authority's plans to build the next section of the M18 close to an area of wintertime lakes known as turloughs and over a fragile, unstable network of underground drainage rivers known as 'swallow holes'.
The IFA says this system has recently been examined by a group of divers and the findings of their investigation of the underground cave and swallow hole network has raised serious concerns about the advisability of carrying out heavy road construction work on this section of the proposed route.
IFA Galway Vice President Michael Kelly says work that might collapse sections of the underground network could create much more serious flooding problems in the Gort area.

KevR · 12-11-2010 12:48pm

They decide to come out with this a few weeks before construction is due to start. It has been known for years that this road was going to be built and there was a huge amount of planning/consultation (which itself requires funding) and they couldn't have said anything at an earlier stage?? They say it when we're pretty much past the point of no return. :rolleyes:

Seems like bizarre behaviour to me. I would personally be inclined to think that they have some sort of a hidden agenda and the things they are saying isn't really that much of a big deal. But that's just me and my opinion.

ki · 12-11-2010 1:02pm

Any of the farmers along the route have there CPO's. This details the exact amount of land require and the route taken.

I won't worry about it. The IFA have little influence with the NRA at this stage for route selection.

But the farmers haven't got there CPO settlements yet!

The meetings are about improving the land valuations.

dumb_parade · 12-11-2010 1:38pm

Surely land that floods so often and has these swallow holes on it would be worth even less.

DWCommuter · 14-11-2010 1:04am

As an anti WRC type, I really hope this section of road comes to fruition smoothly. Its badly needed. I rate the ARC far more important than the railway.

Tech3 · 16-11-2010 5:05am

And the good news for road users in the north of the county is that construction work on the €500m motorway between Gort and Tuam is now due to begin in the Spring with contracts to be signed by the end of the year.

Why would that be good news when it was announced that the scheme would start early next year? Spring is further away!

link

CerebralCortex · 16-11-2010 2:16pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

As an anti WRC type, I really hope this section of road comes to fruition smoothly. Its badly needed. I rate the ARC far more important than the railway.

While I agree I think a viable rail option still needs to be looked at between Cork, Limerick(Shannon included), Ennis(Shannon included) and Galway but the priority has to be roads.

Amtmann · 16-11-2010 2:19pm

tech2 wrote: »

Why would that be good news when it was announced that the scheme would start early next year? Spring is further away!

link

I know nothing about finance, but I think they're holding off signing until the bailout question has been settled. Still no word on the other road PPP either.

westtip · 16-11-2010 11:23pm

Sponge Bob wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1112/flooding.html

This flooding caves thing is just West on Track clutching at straws, the Gort Tuam DC is the death knell of the WRC.

Sponge Bob · 17-11-2010 12:27am

Let me put it this way. If the motorway does not go ahead then neither will the WRC and for the exact same reason. Namely Ca$h€€$h.

etchyed · 17-11-2010 2:46pm

Furet wrote: »

I know nothing about finance, but I think they're holding off signing until the bailout question has been settled. Still no word on the other road PPP either.

I know nothing either, but I'd imagine there's some kind of government moratorium on signing any contract before the four year plan is finalised.

Tech3 · 21-11-2010 9:26am

Contract wont be signed til January so will push out construction till March/April.

Tech3 · 22-11-2010 12:01pm

With the bailout looking to be finalised within the next few weeks this contract should be signed asap but what the NRA are telling me its that they hope it will be signed by end January. I expect this road to be tolled possibly like the M3 in two sections.

Sponge Bob · 22-11-2010 12:43pm

This tolling plan is new tech2, how sure are you ?

Tech3 · 22-11-2010 3:38pm

Sponge Bob wrote: »

This tolling plan is new tech2, how sure are you ?

Its hasnt been announced by the NRA yet but on articles over the year it is believed this road is in the propsals for more tolls on the national road network. However if this is to be believed then the government would have to buy out the Balfour Beatty to put toll plazas on the mainline? I have yet to see anywhere that this road will be shadow tolled though.

Geogregor · 24-11-2010 1:54am

So, with all the financial mess going on we can probably close this thread for few years. Or is it actually in some bizarre way going ahead?

dubhthach · 24-11-2010 9:19am

Geogregor wrote: »

So, with all the financial mess going on we can probably close this thread for few years. Or is it actually in some bizarre way going ahead?

We'll know in two weeks when the Budget is announced on the 7th December. Of course the €15billion cuts plan is been announced today so it might get a mention then regarding cuts in Capital budget.

M17/M18 - Gort to Tuam [open to traffic]

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