M18 - Gort to Crusheen

serfboard

Benbecul97 wrote: »

with the 22 kilometre duel carriageway expected to open shortly afterwards.

I challenge you, sir, to pistols at dawn on the duel carriageway

Benbecul97

serfboard wrote: »

I challenge you, sir, to pistols at dawn on the duel carriageway

"The closure will remain in place until Sunday 7th November and a spokesperson for Galway County Council says all other ancillary works will then be completed by the 12th - with the 22 kilometre duel carriageway expected to open shortly afterwards."

So, if the closure through Barefield is over from Sunday, November 7th is the 22km "unofficially" in use from Sunday, November 7th to Friday, November 12th?

topper75

Yeah good question - which I sort of asked above myself.

Clear as mud they are.

On the plus side, I'm kind of getting sentimental now travelling on the old road! We'll never take the mad bend in Crusheen again. Our grandkids'll never believe us that there was such a bend between the third and fourth cities!

antoobrien

topper75 wrote: »

Yeah good question - which I sort of asked above myself.

Clear as mud they are.

On the plus side, I'm kind of getting sentimental now travelling on the old road! We'll never take the mad bend in Crusheen again. Our grandkids'll never believe us that there was such a bend between the third and fourth cities!

Someone should get a video of the chicane bend to record it for posterity (but only if safe to do so).

Poulgorm

Does anyone know if there are plans to rebuild the main street and footpaths in Gort when the motorway is opened?

The street surface in Gort must be the worst in the country. They must be a patient people.

parklands

The Bend at crusheen is already eliminated with the opening of the roundabout which will form part of M18 junction 15.

Northbound traffic at the M18 this evening 'rush-hour' was diverted via Junction 14, Barefield, through the two roundabouts, and then via Barefield and over the M18 and back onto the current N18. The delay at the second roundabout was all of fifteen seconds, so all in - the extra journey time would be at a maximum two minutes.

One question. At crusheen the county council have re-designated the current N18 as a regional road, but have used black on yellow Regional road numbering on a white sign, rather than the usual black on white. Any reason why - this is the first time I have seen this. I will try get a photo tomorrow. This was used from the J15 roundabout for both directions - Crusheen and Barefield.

L1011

It appears that black on yellow is being used to sign R roads which were N roads under yet another random change in signage standards.

However, there might be a rational explanation. I hope.

Tech3

Never doubt the date on thread title :-p

Amtmann

tech2 wrote: »

Never doubt the date on thread title :-p

Indeed!

THE €207 MILLION Gort to Crusheen bypass is to be officially opened by Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey on November 12th.

The new route is to form the next phase of the Atlantic Corridor.

The National Roads Authority has denied there was any delay in the next phase of the route from Gort to Tuam, stating that work on the public-private partnership scheme would commence in the new year. The roads authority said in a statement yesterday: “Work on the Gort to Tuam route will commence in the new year, despite rumours to the contrary.”

The opening of the Gort to Crusheen route comes almost a year ahead of schedule as the contract was not due to be completed until August 10th, 2011.

The 23km dual carriageway will bypass the south Galway town of Gort and the Clare village of Crusheen. It follows the opening of the bypass between Ennis and Newmarket-on-Fergus on the M18. Motorists will soon be able to travel from Gort to Dublin by motorway.

The Gort to Tuam route is 58km long and the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is expected to begin construction in 2011. It is expected that work on the project will be completed by 2014. It is to connect the M6 motorway east of Oranmore and also provide a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1027/1224282071976.html

L1011

"Motorists will soon be able to travel from Gort to Dublin by motorway."

But won't actually do so, because it'll still be quicker to go via Loughrea on the N65 or even Oranmore on the N18...

fresca

Hey, remember newmarket-on-fergus and the "S" of dooooommmmmmm????
Sometimes, whilst sitting at that junction, i almost lost the will to live....:)

topper75 wrote: »

Yeah good question - which I sort of asked above myself.

Clear as mud they are.

On the plus side, I'm kind of getting sentimental now travelling on the old road! We'll never take the mad bend in Crusheen again. Our grandkids'll never believe us that there was such a bend between the third and fourth cities!

topper75

Ha ha. You would lose control of an ass and cart on that Newmarket on Fergus one. It's still there should the nostalgia ever come over you.

The Crusheen one has been happily obliterated by realignment.

slinky2000

Poulgorm wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are plans to rebuild the main street and footpaths in Gort when the motorway is opened?

The street surface in Gort must be the worst in the country. They must be a patient people.

I've been travelling through Gort for over 7 years now and it's always been like that. I hope they'll resurface it, it so badly needs it

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

Never doubt the date on thread title :-p

Fair play, now any insight into Gort to Tuam?

Benbecul97

topper75 wrote: »

Ha ha. You would lose control of an ass and cart on that Newmarket on Fergus one. It's still there should the nostalgia ever come over you.

The Crusheen one has been happily obliterated by realignment.

So is it a roundabout at that junction now?

topper75

Yeah. Basically you come under the railway bridge as you leave Crusheen travelling south. Instead of the old sharp left after the bridge (turn now actually blocked!), you go straight towards the new little roundabout, at which you take the first exit to a little 100m(?) section of new realigned road to the N18 bound for Ennis. Much safer. Of course, the new roundabout and realignment will be entirely irrelavant for most of us before long.:)

Chris_5339762

For posterity!

marmurr1916

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

For posterity!

Betcha that billboard becomes a lot cheaper to advertise on next month!

kiwipower

What the Bill board that could seriously be classified as a traffic hazard??? Due to its location on a dangerous bend, distracting drivers from the job at hand!? Its about time with all these "Bill Boards" and advertising signs placed willie-nillie along roadsides that legislation was brought in addressing the road safety issues with them! ESPECIALLY coming up to elections!! :P

munchkin_utd

kiwipower wrote: »

What the Bill board that could seriously be classified as a traffic hazard??? Due to its location on a dangerous bend, distracting drivers from the job at hand!? Its about time with all these "Bill Boards" and advertising signs placed willie-nillie along roadsides that legislation was brought in addressing the road safety issues with them! ESPECIALLY coming up to elections!! :P

it would be a wonderful location for a wonderbra ad!!!
(co sponsored maybe by the ambulance and fire services who mop up the damage from crashed distracted male drivers!!)

kiwipower

munchkin_utd wrote: »

it would be a wonderful location for a wonderbra ad!!!
(co sponsored maybe by the ambulance and fire services who mop up the damage from crashed distracted male drivers!!)

What are you suggesting? Only Male drivers will be looking at the add or that Females are better drivers??????

Stinicker

Wow, that turn brings back memories, was driving to Northern Ireland last winter during the big freeze and went straight ahead in heavy freezing fog there, only for the sat nav I would not have realised I was off the main road.

Berty

I was coming from Gort to Limerick yesterday and came over the new bridge which brought me back onto the old road towards Barefield.

As soon as I rounded the corner off the bridge I thought "fvck me I havent seen this road in a LONG time".

Imagine the residents. For around 1.5 years it was a cul de sac and one day 1000's of vehicles arrived back onto it for 1 week.

-Corkie-

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

For posterity!

Tut Tut Chris. Approaching dangerous bend, no hands on the wheel taking pictures for our enjoyment....:D

Chris_5339762

I was in the back seat so :P

westtip

Any news on the revised bus timetables with this new road? What time will a limerick Galway express bus do with the new road in place?

Tech3

westtip wrote: »

Any news on the revised bus timetables with this new road? What time will a limerick Galway express bus do with the new road in place?

Its 1hr 30 mins with the X51 now and thats including stops at oranmore and gort. I think a new bus stop should be put near the roundabout at gort to prevent time lost from driving in and out of the town back to the junction again. It could be 1hr 10 min then surely?

yak

with the imminent opening of the Gort to crusheen road does anyone have any inside knowledge on what the story is with the gort to oranmore section is... or is it in danger or becoming a little more than a pipe dream after next months budget...

darkman2

Dempsey to open €207m Gort bypass


GORDON DEEGAN

THE €207 MILLION Gort to Crusheen bypass is to be officially opened by Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey on November 12th.

The new route is to form the next phase of the Atlantic Corridor.

The National Roads Authority has denied there was any delay in the next phase of the route from Gort to Tuam, stating that work on the public-private partnership scheme would commence in the new year. The roads authority said in a statement yesterday: “Work on the Gort to Tuam route will commence in the new year, despite rumours to the contrary.”

The opening of the Gort to Crusheen route comes almost a year ahead of schedule as the contract was not due to be completed until August 10th, 2011.

The 23km dual carriageway will bypass the south Galway town of Gort and the Clare village of Crusheen. It follows the opening of the bypass between Ennis and Newmarket-on-Fergus on the M18. Motorists will soon be able to travel from Gort to Dublin by motorway.

The Gort to Tuam route is 58km long and the BAM Balfour Beatty Consortium is expected to begin construction in 2011. It is expected that work on the project will be completed by 2014. It is to connect the M6 motorway east of Oranmore and also provide a bypass of Tuam at the northern end as well as Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south.

...from the Irish Times a few days back

Chris_5339762

Motorists will soon be able to travel from Gort to Dublin by motorway.

True, once Nenagh to Borris is open. Isnt that taking the piss a little bit