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

Hespy · 21-09-2017 8:10am

I always found it strange that Limerick traffic was directed that way. Common sense would have it stay on the dual carriageway and avoid the level crossing near Oranmore.

m17 wrote: »

Sign changes on the n6 18/09/1721/09/1718/09/1721/09/17oranmore to claregalway is now the r381(sorry about the orange ball getting in the way)

m17 · 21-09-2017 8:18am

M18 junction 16 gort 24/12/14

19/09/17

ir555 · 21-09-2017 8:48am

Anyone know when the diversion from Crusheen to Gort will reopen?

veryangryman · 21-09-2017 8:51am

m17 wrote: »

M18 junction 16 gort 24/12/14

Is there nothing stopping one driving north on that road now? Maybe the image is misleading?

joeKel73 · 21-09-2017 8:54am

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I don't feel we need a dual carriageway to Sligo.

Agreed. I've been travelling between Galway and Donegal for the last 13 years. Most of the road is great and moves well, just upgrade the obvious stretches that are narrow and bendy but no need for a dual carriageway.

When upgrading those stretches, just include a couple of alternating overtaking lanes in the middle.

MayoSalmon · 21-09-2017 8:58am

J o e wrote: »

Agreed. I've been travelling between Galway and Donegal for the last 13 years. Most of the road is great and moves well, just upgrade the obvious stretches that are narrow and bendy but no need for a dual carriageway.

When upgrading those stretches, just include a couple of alternating overtaking lanes in the middle.

Or just build a dual carriageway and be done with it for the next 70 years

joeKel73 · 21-09-2017 9:31am

godskitchen wrote: »

At the end of the Tuam bypass, with the foot bridge, once you cross the round about, is it immediately then the m17 and the start of motorway restrictions?

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

It is, yes.

If the M17 starts right after the roundabout, how come when leaving the Coolagh roundabout you have to travel 4km to the Oranmore exit before the motorway starts...? No obvious difference between that stretch of the N6 and the M6.

Mr Velo · 21-09-2017 9:38am

My last Thursday having to go through Tuam town

marno21 · 21-09-2017 10:14am

J o e wrote: »

If the M17 starts right after the roundabout, how come when leaving the Coolagh roundabout you have to travel 4km to the Oranmore exit before the motorway starts...? No obvious difference between that stretch of the N6 and the M6.

There was a planned outer Galway bypass that wouldn't be motorway that would split off between J19 and the Coolagh roundabout so that's why it's not motorway. The new Galway ring road project could potentially be motorway so that section may be redesignated

muddle84 · 21-09-2017 10:56am

J o e wrote: »

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I don't feel we need a dual carriageway to Sligo.

Agreed. I've been travelling between Galway and Donegal for the last 13 years. Most of the road is great and moves well, just upgrade the obvious stretches that are narrow and bendy but no need for a dual carriageway.

When upgrading those stretches, just include a couple of alternating overtaking lanes in the middle.

I really do think this is all that is required for Tuam to Sligo and onward to Donegal. Looking at the volume of traffic this road sees and then the cost of a dual carriageway. I just can't see how it would be feasible. But looking at the safety side of things with that crash lately in Claremorris maybe a dual carriageway might be on the table.

21-09-2017 11:07am

muddle84 wrote: »

I really do think this is all that is required for Tuam to Sligo and onward to Donegal. Looking at the volume of traffic this road sees and then the cost of a dual carriageway. I just can't see how it would be feasible. But looking at the safety side of things with that crash lately in Claremorris maybe a dual carriageway might be on the table.

Knock - Collooney needs to be next on the N17. Its the worst section by far between Cork and Donegal.
But its probably another 50Km of road.

Roadfan · 21-09-2017 11:12am

muddle84 wrote: »

I really do think this is all that is required for Tuam to Sligo and onward to Donegal. Looking at the volume of traffic this road sees and then the cost of a dual carriageway. I just can't see how it would be feasible. But looking at the safety side of things with that crash lately in Claremorris maybe a dual carriageway might be on the table.

Not sure about overtaking lanes. Better than nothing I suppose and I gather that TII won't be going for any more 2 +1 schemes like on the Mallow road. Don't travel to Donegal but the road from Charlestown to Collooney is anything but great. It's worse than the road leaving Charleville for Limerick and that's saying something. And that crash referred to near Claremorris isn't the first fatal accident on that road

kippy · 21-09-2017 11:45am

Long time lurker, few times poster on this thread. Hard to believe this road is about to become reality. The bypass of Tuam alone is going to make a positive difference to many peoples lives and the motorway itself take a lot of traffic out of the towns and villages that are snarled up with traffic regularly. Will hopefully help reduce road deaths and accidents.
It will be a while before the impact of the road on traffic patterns around galway is established.

Thanks to M17 for all the work on photos, a truly mammoth task and thanks to all the contributes on the thread over the years.

Plenty other projects to get stuck into, let's hope the money is there.

westtip · 21-09-2017 12:00pm

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Or just build a dual carriageway and be done with it for the next 70 years

Exactly! The N17 from Tubbercurry to Collooney is a death trap, and carries a lot of commuting traffic from that part of Sligo into Sligo town, the new motorway is fantastic and the way it has been tracked on this thread a credit to a few people not least m17, hats off once again - fantastic flow of constant information photos etc. Once we have a seamless dual carriageway from Cork to Letterkenny the west will be transformed. There is no point going back a step to create the wide single carriageway with hard shoulders, although we can live with that standard of road for example Knock by pass or Boyle by pass on the N4, but why not just do the job properly now.

The N15 from Sligo to Bundoran is another case in point of being an absolute death trap as national route. DC is needed.

Just a couple of points on the new road, if you live at any point south of say Claremorris to Tuam will the option of N17/N6 now be the preferred route to Dublin. From South Mayo it may well be the better option now, it would be interesting to hear on journey times (or safety of journey/ease of driving) what any regular users of the alternative route to Dublin along the N5 would say. Personally even if it added 20 miles to my journey I would rather do Motorway all the way. My guess is both quicker and less fuel consumption although it would add an extra toll to the journey on the M6. Thoughts?

Benbecul97 · 21-09-2017 12:01pm

plodder wrote: »

... or Sligo, since that's what it appears to say (in the last photo at least)?

That is one easily fixable part of road signage standards. Eg.

Agreed, its not clear which airport is being signposted Shannon or Knock.

Benbecul97 · 21-09-2017 12:05pm

marno21 wrote: »

The N83 will go from Bothar na dTreabh to the Kilmore roundabout at Tuam.

What is the road # of the Tuam bypass? Where does the N83 restart - Mountpotter roundabout?

Benbecul97 · 21-09-2017 12:06pm

Aontachtoir wrote: »

Nothing pathetic about having signs in two languages in a country with two legal languages (Irish first, and English secondary). It's perfectly sensible and very common across the world.
Although I see they made a spelling mistake or two on the sign. :^|

Call out the spelling mistakes. You know you want to?

marno21 · 21-09-2017 12:09pm

Benbecul97 wrote: »

What is the road # of the Tuam bypass? Where does the N83 restart - Mountpotter roundabout?

Tuam bypass is N17. N83 stops at the Kilmore roundabout and restarts at the Mountpotter roundabout.

Benbecul97 · 21-09-2017 12:11pm

marno21 wrote: »

Tuam bypass is N17. N83 stops at the Kilmore roundabout and restarts at the Mountpotter roundabout.

Thanks! Isn't that a bit daft?

BelfastVanMan · 21-09-2017 12:21pm

Benbecul97 wrote: »

marno21 wrote: »

Tuam bypass is N17. N83 stops at the Kilmore roundabout and restarts at the Mountpotter roundabout.

Thanks! Isn't that a bit daft?

Not at all...happens in mamy other places, too; the N52, for example, is interuppted by the N4 Mullingar bypass, briefly, and then again by several miles of M6.

The A4 in Northern Ireland also multiplexes with the M1 (NI) from junctions 12 to 15.

marno21 · 21-09-2017 12:29pm

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

Not at all...happens in mamy other places, too; the N52, for example, is interuppted by the N4 Mullingar bypass, briefly, and then again by several miles of M6.

The A4 in Northern Ireland also multiplexes with the M1 (NI) from junctions 12 to 15.

Yep, it's legally defined as multiplexing. It's signed N17 (N83) on the signs.

21-09-2017 12:38pm

Hespy wrote: »

I always found it strange that Limerick traffic was directed that way. Common sense would have it stay on the dual carriageway and avoid the level crossing near Oranmore.

What would be the alternative? All the way to Doughiska and all the way back out to Oranmore would be madness!

Middle Man · 21-09-2017 12:51pm

kippy wrote: »

Long time lurker, few times poster on this thread. Hard to believe this road is about to become reality. The bypass of Tuam alone is going to make a positive difference to many peoples lives and the motorway itself take a lot of traffic out of the towns and villages that are snarled up with traffic regularly. Will hopefully help reduce road deaths and accidents.
It will be a while before the impact of the road on traffic patterns around galway is established.

Thanks to M17 for all the work on photos, a truly mammoth task and thanks to all the contributes on the thread over the years.

Plenty other projects to get stuck into, let's hope the money is there.

The M1 near where I live has certainly been highly beneficial in terms of safety and convenience even if it should have been six lanes from the start - I'm sure the the M17/18 will have the same effect for the locality thereof.

muddle84 · 21-09-2017 1:17pm

Roadfan wrote: »

muddle84 wrote: »

I really do think this is all that is required for Tuam to Sligo and onward to Donegal. Looking at the volume of traffic this road sees and then the cost of a dual carriageway. I just can't see how it would be feasible. But looking at the safety side of things with that crash lately in Claremorris maybe a dual carriageway might be on the table.

Not sure about overtaking lanes. Better than nothing I suppose and I gather that TII won't be going for any more 2 +1 schemes like on the Mallow road. Don't travel to Donegal but the road from Charlestown to Collooney is anything but great. It's worse than the road leaving Charleville for Limerick and that's saying something. And that crash referred to near Claremorris isn't the first fatal accident on that road

I agree, if they sorted out Charlestown to Collooney you have a pretty good road then, even better if they sorted out Milltown to Ballindine.

muddle84 · 21-09-2017 1:22pm

westtip wrote: »

MayoSalmon wrote: »

Or just build a dual carriageway and be done with it for the next 70 years

Exactly! The N17 from Tubbercurry to Collooney is a death trap, and carries a lot of commuting traffic from that part of Sligo into Sligo town, the new motorway is fantastic and the way it has been tracked on this thread a credit to a few people not least m17, hats off once again - fantastic flow of constant information photos etc. Once we have a seamless dual carriageway from Cork to Letterkenny the west will be transformed. There is no point going back a step to create the wide single carriageway with hard shoulders, although we can live with that standard of road for example Knock by pass or Boyle by pass on the N4, but why not just do the job properly now.

The N15 from Sligo to Bundoran is another case in point of being an absolute death trap as national route. DC is needed.

Just a couple of points on the new road, if you live at any point south of say Claremorris to Tuam will the option of N17/N6 now be the preferred route to Dublin. From South Mayo it may well be the better option now, it would be interesting to hear on journey times (or safety of journey/ease of driving) what any regular users of the alternative route to Dublin along the N5 would say. Personally even if it added 20 miles to my journey I would rather do Motorway all the way. My guess is both quicker and less fuel consumption although it would add an extra toll to the journey on the M6. Thoughts?

This would definately be the best route to dublin from South Mayo once it opens. I travel Claremorris to Dublin regularly and always find backroads to Athlone to be the fastest but the roads are just awful. If the motorway is 10km longer, it will still be the quickest route surely.

wotzgoingon · 21-09-2017 3:05pm

muddle84 wrote: »

I really do think this is all that is required for Tuam to Sligo and onward to Donegal. Looking at the volume of traffic this road sees and then the cost of a dual carriageway. I just can't see how it would be feasible. But looking at the safety side of things with that crash lately in Claremorris maybe a dual carriageway might be on the table.

How would having wider roads be safer. The woman drove straight out onto the main road in front of a truck. Unless you mean having a flyover. But there is a lot of roads connecting to the existing N17 and it would cost a lot of money to widen the road and have fly overs on each road.

wotzgoingon · 21-09-2017 3:12pm

westtip wrote: »

Just a couple of points on the new road, if you live at any point south of say Claremorris to Tuam will the option of N17/N6 now be the preferred route to Dublin. From South Mayo it may well be the better option now, it would be interesting to hear on journey times (or safety of journey/ease of driving) what any regular users of the alternative route to Dublin along the N5 would say. Personally even if it added 20 miles to my journey I would rather do Motorway all the way. My guess is both quicker and less fuel consumption although it would add an extra toll to the journey on the M6. Thoughts?

I live 4 miles outside Claremorris and that route will be my way of driving to Dublin or Athlone. It will be far safer and it may even cut a small bit off the journey time but I'm not too sure on that. Yes the tolls are annoying but it is a price to pay for a better and safer road.

discodaveirl · 21-09-2017 3:15pm

muddle84 wrote: »

I agree, if they sorted out Charlestown to Collooney you have a pretty good road then, even better if they sorted out Milltown to Ballindine.

Ive driven frequently from Tuam to Claremorris (and much further either side), you come into Milltown from Tuam and slow to (60) 50k and then by the time your at n17 electric your back to 85k until you hit the wide spot, 100k or what ever speed the driver in front allows, 50k through Ballindine and back to 90 -100k... Bypass of both villages would be a waste.... Widen the road from around Musicfield andtake the bends out.. Nothing wrong with going through the villages, some fantastic services in these two village that only survive on passing traffic, (Finns Milltown, Supermacs/Texaco Ballindine, Ellie Maguires Ballindine). Bypass these and you'll go from Kilkelly (Applegreen), to Charleville without any roadside services, I underztand that theres a services to be built on the M6/M17-18 junction, hopefully its not an applegreen because they are overpriced and dont serve all commuters...

Sorry for boing o/t... Have been passing this construction work for the pass two years and hopefully when im going to Clare on Tuesday week i'll have a half hour sleep in. Big Thanks to M17 and im glad there naming the road from Tuam after him...

paul2013 · 21-09-2017 4:24pm

I fear that the new motorway will not be fully utilised due to the fact that there will be tailbacks entering Galway from Doughiska and Claregalway will still be a nightmare like its every evening and morning. It will be beneficial for traffic boycotting Galway and onto Athlone or Tuam.

I wish you all the safest of driving on the new Motorway when it opens 6 days from today

discodaveirl · 21-09-2017 5:22pm

paul2013 wrote: »

I fear that the new motorway will not be fully utilised due to the fact that there will be tailbacks entering Galway from Doughiska and Claregalway will still be a nightmare like its every evening and morning. It will be beneficial for traffic boycotting Galway and onto Athlone or Tuam.

I wish you all the safest of driving on the new Motorway when it opens 6 days from today

Think there should be a pressure put on Ross on Wednesday for the Galway City Ring Road and M20...

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

Comments