N6 Kinnegad - Tyrellspass opens 5th December

darkman2

The revolution in our roads continues.........:)

Looks like about 14kms of this road or there abouts.

impr0v

You're wrong on both counts. The date has not been publicised as yet, so I can't reveal it, but the minister is currently scheduled to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony on a date earlier than the one you've specified.

The stretch to be opened is 18km of high-quality dual carriageway, plus a 4.5km stretch of new single carriageway N52.

darkman2

impr0v wrote:

You're wrong on both counts. The date has not been publicised as yet, so I can't reveal it, but the minister is currently scheduled to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony on a date earlier than the one you've specified.

The stretch to be opened is 18km of high-quality dual carriageway, plus a 4.5km stretch of new single carriageway N52.

Is the NRA wrong on both counts? its on their website.

BTW I origionally said the 11th, its actually the 5th.

impr0v

I wasn't aware it had formally announced the date but no, the NRA is right when it states the fifth, you were wrong when you stated the 11th. And I don't see where it has stated '14km or there abouts [sic]' on the site, but the correct length is as stated above.

darkman2

impr0v wrote:

I wasn't aware it had formally announced the date but no, the NRA is right when it states the fifth, you were wrong when you stated the 11th. And I don't see where it has stated '14km or there abouts [sic]' on the site, but the correct length is as stated above.

I looked at the map to see the distance for myself and saw it looked like 14kms 'or there abouts' (i.e give or take a few kms) on the mainline. Sorry it upset you so much.

impr0v

Apology accepted.

There are some signage issues at the interfaces with the existing road network that will go right down to the wire, but the section is otherwise almost ready to open.

The remainder of Phase 1, from Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan, will take a few months more and should open before summer of next year. The programmed date of completion for Phase 1 was originally November 2007, so this particular section is almost 12 months ahead of schedule, with the phase as a whole likely to be 6 months ahead.

Phase 2 (Kilbeggan to Athlone) works are on-going and scheduled for completion in late 2008.

DerekP11

Its good news alright, but god its gonna be a bit of a jam at the new roundabout they've created on the old N6/new N52 link near Tyrellspass. Short-term I know, but an interesting potential bottleneck all the same.

Funny thing is though, the N6 HQDC (as far as tyrellspass) and N52 link was well advanced before the NRA announced construction had started. Personally, I think its a Government ploy to look good and win votes. Creative accounting, road building style. Just look at the N7 widening project for proof. Original signage along the route said completion in Summer 2006. It was indeed completed by Summer 2006 and then suddenly new signs appeared saying it was 8 months ahead of schedule. Cullen did the same line in the media. On closer inspection we can note that the original tender stated 24 months but the signed contract said 18 months, hence Summer 06.

Its creative alright and hardly a sign that the construction crews are coming in, genuinely ahead of schedule.

D'Peoples Voice

DerekP11 wrote:

I think its a Government ploy to look good and win votes. Creative accounting, road building style.
Its creative alright and hardly a sign that the construction crews are coming in, genuinely ahead of schedule.

I think Derek most educated people see through it and realise that the Government(that is, central government) have little or no input into the road construction at all.
Apart from setting the priorities at a high level for the NRA, and agreeing the annual budget for the NRA, central government have no further input, although for some reason they still continue to turn up at the opening ceremonies of the road!
We have local authorities around the country & the NRA to thank for these roads being built to high standards and on time(or not)!

Victor

impr0v wrote:

but the minister is currently scheduled to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony on a date earlier than the one you've specified.

Which minister?

D'Peoples Voice

Victor wrote:

Which minister?

the Reverend(Minister) of Mullingar Cathedral, no other minister has had an input!:)

loyatemu

as this is HQDC will it be 120km\h?

Chris_533976

Thats one thing Ive noticed. Like with the Limerick Southern Bypass, they said "It has officially started" after they'd cleared the whole route and had spent several months digging.

So when they say projects are done extremely quickly, they're most often lieing, because they start early, and are done 'ahead of schedule' because they build potential legal challenge delays into the schedule.

Plus they get election +1's for saying "ITS OPEN EARLY"!!!

Zoney

loyatemu wrote:

as this is HQDC will it be 120km\h?

The only route that is not motorway and is 120 km/h is the N2 Ashbourne Bypass. Just about all dual carriageways built in the State in the last number of years are HQDC. There's little reason that other local authorities haven't put in for a special speed limit on other HQDCs. I wouldn't hold my breath for this N6 section having a 120 km/h limit.

It's unclear why the N2 got special treatment, other than perhaps the local coco(s) being on the ball.

Happy Bertie

Zoney wrote:

The only route that is not motorway and is 120 km/h is the N2 Ashbourne Bypass.

I thought the Watergrasshill section was also given the 120 km/h blessing by Cork Co. Council "boy".

quitepossibly

Happy Bertie wrote:

I thought the Watergrasshill section was also given the 120 km/h blessing by Cork Co. Council "boy".

About time. 3 years late. I hope that includes the Glanmire bypass.

How about the same treatment for the Carrigtwohill bypass CCC? And as ye're at it the Ballincollig bypass too please.

Chris_533976

I think those two are up for 120 treatment in the NRAs big "upgrade to 120" schemes.

Is the Glanmire bypass capable of 120? Awkward terrain and a bit of a steep hill there. Would presume it would be 100 up to the start of the toll section, then 120 from then on.

(and then down to like 60 or 80 at the other end of the M8 Fermoy bypass......)

Zoney

I wonder what other non-motorway DCs in the State could have 120 km/h (or rather, what "HQDC" should be motorway :rolleyes: )?

Around Limerick I would nominate (distances include allowance for end of limit before end of suitable DC):

(7km) N7 Limerick SRR phase 1 (the interchanges are hardly close together considering there is only one mid-way (N24).

(27 km) N18: Bunratty Bridge to north of Ennis.

(8 km) N20 Raheen/Patrickswell bypass from 1 km away from SRR junction to where the N21 commences (southern junction at P'well) and N20 diverges from the DC.

icdg

My own preference is to scrap this HQDC nonsense and call a spade a spade, or a motorway a motorway. As long as there are no private accesses or at grade junctions, and there is a viable alternative route for non motorway traffic, it should be a motorway. The N6 scheme meets this criteria (in fact a very very short section of it is motorway, and lined as such, once the last exit is passed, as any road leading inescapably to a motorway must also be a motorway).

Other schemes that could be motorway?

N2: Finglas-Ashbourne, or most of it, you'd need to leave out either end (in particular the first 1km or so of the northbound carrigeway where there's a very dodgey exit!
N4: Mullingar bypass. Not the McNeads Bridge scheme though, its got enough dodgey junctions and no hard shoulder in places to perhaps warrent a replacement / upgrade if the Mullingar bypass was to be made motorway. Yes I know about the Service Area on the Mullingar bypass. Access to it is however more-or-less grade seperated so it would be fine.
N6: As above, plus Athlone bypass.
N7: Alas the Naas Road, even upgraded, has too many private accesses to be a motorway. What could be motorway is the Limerick south ring section, and the future Limerick-Nenagh and Nenagh-Castletown sections. That would leave the Nenagh bypass not quite up to speed, but with no private accesses or intermediate junctions you could call it a motorway and sign it with a lower 100kph limit and warning signs.
N9 (yes I know I'm leaving out the N8, but I haven't travelled it in a while): all the new sections will be HQDC so could be m-way.
N11. Not a hope of the the section between Donneybrook and Shankill ever being motorway, and ditto for the section directly south of the present M11 (inc Glen of the Downs). The Arklow and Rathnew bypasses could qualify with a bit of work.
N18: Between Shannon and Ennis.

Zoney

icdg wrote:

What could be motorway is the Limerick south ring section, and the future Limerick-Nenagh and Nenagh-Castletown sections. That would leave the Nenagh bypass not quite up to speed, but with no private accesses or intermediate junctions you could call it a motorway and sign it with a lower 100kph limit and warning signs.

The Nenagh bypass is to be dualled; once this happens there's not much reason it couldn't be motorway.*

Apart from urban areas, it's not like the UK here, just about all new DCs are fully grade separated and have hard shoulders and motorway curvatures (even if they didn't, a lower limit along a section or two would fix that!)

----

*The Nenagh bypass is a sorry story. It should have been built as DC in the first place if they intended on having DC Limerick-Dublin. Also it has no intermediate junctions because of sheer cost-cutting and conniving. It *SHOULD* have an intermediate junction on the Thurles road. Without that, it's of far less use and carries light enough traffic. The existing junctions are pretty poor (lack decent slip roads; although slip lanes are present on the mainline); they hopefully would be upgraded as part of the dualling.

spacetweek

Zoney wrote:

The Nenagh bypass is a sorry story. It should have been built as DC in the first place if they intended on having DC Limerick-Dublin. Also it has no intermediate junctions because of sheer cost-cutting and conniving. It *SHOULD* have an intermediate junction on the Thurles road. Without that, it's of far less use and carries light enough traffic. The existing junctions are pretty poor (lack decent slip roads; although slip lanes are present on the mainline); they hopefully would be upgraded as part of the dualling.

Nenagh opened in 2000, which means they must have started building it in 1998, which means they designed it in about 1996. Back then they hadn't yet decided that they were going to go for all-DC for the interurbans, that only happened in 99 with the launch of the first NDP.

Agree w/you on the subject of not having a Thurles interchange - I hope this will be rectified with the upgrade.

Saruman

5th huh.,.. sweet.. thats my road... take me all the way to Rochfortbridge instead of having to spend 10 mins on the narrow N6 with no overtaking.

Victor

Zoney wrote:

Apart from urban areas, it's not like the UK here, just about all new DCs are fully grade separated and have hard shoulders and motorway curvatures (even if they didn't, a lower limit along a section or two would fix that!)

People would still complain.

impr0v

Zoney wrote:

I wouldn't hold my breath for this N6 section having a 120 km/h limit.

It was mooted for a while and some work done in that regard, but a decision made not to. It's possible that it will be upgraded when the remainer of Phase 1, i.e. to Kilbeggan, is completed (summer next year), but more than likely will occur when the entire scheme as far as Athlone is completed (mid-late '08). It is going to happen though.

impr0v

icdg wrote:

N4: Mullingar bypass. Not the McNeads Bridge scheme though, its got enough dodgey junctions and no hard shoulder in places to perhaps warrent a replacement / upgrade if the Mullingar bypass was to be made motorway. Yes I know about the Service Area on the Mullingar bypass. Access to it is however more-or-less grade seperated so it would be fine.

Plans are at an early stage to close/upgrade the junctions on the McNead's Bridge and the Downs section, primarily for safety reasons, but also to work towards a 120 km/h speed. Some sections may still be not be suitable in terms of alignment but the Mullingar Bypass was built to the old HQDC standards, which is very close to motorway. The curve radii on the first bend after Hamill's heading westbound would however seem to me to be a little tight for motorway standards.

Fool 5000

From RTE
Opening of new road in Co Westmeath

05 December 2006 12:35
A new 19km section of road is to be opened in Co Westmeath this afternoon.

The N6 Kinnegad to Kilbeggan dual carriageway will remove one of the worst sections of roads on the Galway-Dublin route.

The project has been delivered on budget and 12 months ahead of schedule.

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The road is phase one of a longer term project which will see a dual carriageway completed from Dublin to the west of Athlone by the end of next year.

Milltownpass, Tyrrellspass and Rochfortbridge will all be bypassed.

It is estimated that around 13,000 cars per day use the existing N6; the new road will remove more than 10,000 cars a day from the villages and towns it bypasses.

Motorists travelling from Dublin to Galway will from today have 74km of motorway standard dual carriageway.

At present a toll of €2.50 is charged at Enfield on the M4, a new toll will be charged west of Ballinasloe in Co Galway when the full N6 upgrade is complete.