N6 Kilbeggan - Athlone - fingers crossed for motorway!

darkman2

Should see in the next couple of days whether this will open similar to the Carlow Bypass with nice solid yellow hard shoulders and big blue signs. The lines are about to be painted so we will know soon enough! BTW if anyone has been near the road or the construction maybe you can let us know if the signs are green DC or blue motorway.


BTW anyone got an exact opening date for this? Cant be long now. What an improvement this stretch is going to make!


Maybe should add aswell if anyone knows whether the signs on the opened section from Kinnegad are going to be replaced soon for Mway status? If not we could end up with 20kms of DC in the middle of a motorway! I gather the new stretch will be a similar narrow median?


http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10193-0.pdf Mway declaration

Chris_533976

Asked about this a few weeks back, heres the thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055273788

Anyone any more updates?

mysterious

Of course it will be motorway.

mackerski

There are already blue signs pointing down the slips at Moate. It will open as motorway.

nordydan

mackerski wrote: »

There are already blue signs pointing down the slips at Moate. It will open as motorway.

Same on current N6, it says M6 although covered in mud

Gonzo

are all new Irish Motorways and Dual Carriageways now narrow median? The N2, N6, N8, N9 are, and from what ive seen of the M3 works, it looks like it will be narrow as well... are the traditional wide grass medians a thing of the past?

mysterious

Gonzo wrote: »

are all new Irish Motorways and Dual Carriageways now narrow median? The N2, N6, N8, N9 are, and from what ive seen of the M3 works, it looks like it will be narrow as well... are the traditional wide grass medians a thing of the past?

M3 quoted by the NRA site was to be wide median.

Yep they are, NRA got away with building motorways for years without a safety barrier, the reason was that grass medians "seem" to be norm is separating traffic "safely"

untill we had the famous tin can messes on the M50 blocking both carriegways.


The upside to these narrrow median motorways is they will prevent oncoming crashes.
The down side none of the inter urbans can be widened, unless they knock the bridges and take lands adjacent to the verges.

nordydan

Gonzo wrote: »

are all new Irish Motorways and Dual Carriageways now narrow median? The N2, N6, N8, N9 are, and from what ive seen of the M3 works, it looks like it will be narrow as well... are the traditional wide grass medians a thing of the past?

I think the M3 is wide median, it was listed as such in on the NRA website. The others have traffic volumes nowhere near 55,000, so probably don't need 3 lanes (except near their terminal cities).

Zoney

mysterious:

There isn't too much need to be down about it though - cause the stretches of motorway/DC leading to the main cities do have wide median - and they'll be the only bits of motorway needing upgrading to 3 lanes in anything but the very long term.

The M7 can be upgraded to 3 lanes (although this is needed already to the M9 junction). Same for the M4/N4, M1, N11, etc.

Cork the N8 can be upgraded to 3 lanes.

In Limerick the N7 Southern Ring Road phase 1 has wide median, as does the N20 southwest of the city, and the N18 (however much it won't get motorway status due to private accesses between Cratloe junction/Setrights and Limerick). That said - in my area I don't know if the N7 Limerick-Nenagh will have wide median, or the SRR phase 2 currently under construction.

Galway I don't know what the plan is with the new N6 - if it hasn't space for upgrade it's stupid due to the N17/N18 meeting the N6 further out near Athenry and traffic from the three routes on the N6 to/from Galway.

Irish and Proud

nordydan wrote: »

I think the M3 is wide median, it was listed as such in on the NRA website. The others have traffic volumes nowhere near 55,000, so probably don't need 3 lanes (except near their terminal cities).

I'm pretty sure that the M3 is to be narrow median - unless the plans were changed. I know that the N2 Finglas to Ashbourne was to be wide median, but was switched before contruction - that particular scheme was delayed for a year or so. What I also heard is that the N3 Kells to North of Kells section (part of M3 scheme) will now be 2+2. It was originally to be WS2 (15m), then 2+1 (14m), and now 2+2 (16.5m). Also, I believe that there's talk about upgrading to N2 Ashbourne to Ardee section to 2+2.

Regards!

D.L.R.

nordydan wrote: »

Same on current N6, it says M6 although covered in mud

An official statement on the situation is overdue, as the consultation process ended back in March. Here we are nearly into May and no final word. I imagine the new M6 & M9 must be legally confirmed before they presumably open as Motorway.

darkman2

Photomontages of proposed interchanges - whats with all the dumbell interchanges


http://www.wccprojectoffice.ie/new/database/downloads/Kilbeggan.jpg


Whats with all the roundabouts........


http://www.wccprojectoffice.ie/new/database/downloads/Farnagh.jpg


Athlone interchange

http://www.wccprojectoffice.ie/new/database/downloads/Athlone.jpg

Some realignments need on the East bound slip for motorway IMO.

Zube

White lines are now painted on the West-bound carriageway at the Moate-Clara interchange. Still a good bit of work needed beneath the bridge at Fardrum West of Moate where the current N6 crosses the new road. That's the bridge at the top of Farnagh.jpg in darkman2's posting.

Not sure what's wrong with the Eastbound slip at Athlone: this bridge and the dumbell-roundabouts are finished and open now, there won't be any re-aligning.

Zube

Zube wrote: »

Not sure what's wrong with the Eastbound slip at Athlone: this bridge and the dumbell-roundabouts are finished and open now, there won't be any re-aligning.

I'm guessing that there may be a drainage issue, a couple of drains were dug up recently on the westbound side.

Victor

My brother drove on the open section of the N8 from Cahir to Cashel - there are no signs at all, neither green nor blue.

Irish and Proud

Victor wrote: »

My brother drove on the open section of the N8 from Cahir to Cashel - there are no signs at all, neither green nor blue.

I saw a few images of the road when it first opened, and there were green signs. If there are no signs now, this can only mean one thing...

...did your brother also notice the continuous yellow lines? - These could very clearly be seen on the images too! :):)

Bring on the M8!!!

Regards!

darkman2

Victor wrote: »

My brother drove on the open section of the N8 from Cahir to Cashel - there are no signs at all, neither green nor blue.

Pictures or it didnt happen:D

D.L.R.

Irish and Proud wrote: »

I saw a few images of the road when it first opened, and there were green signs. If there are no signs now, this can only mean one thing...

...did your brother also notice the continuous yellow lines? - These could very clearly be seen on the images too! :):)

Bring on the M8!!!

Regards!

so the Cashel Bypass is up to the job, even though it was built as a standard DC. Good news, but it makes you wonder what Ireland's actual motorway criteria are. There's so many gauges of DC now that its hard to differentiate.

loyatemu

D.L.R. wrote: »

so the Cashel Bypass is up to the job, even though it was built as a standard DC. Good news, but it makes you wonder what Ireland's actual motorway criteria are. There's so many gauges of DC now that its hard to differentiate.

no different to anywhere else - motorway designation is just a set of restrictions. there are single carriageway motorways on the continent.

murphaph

loyatemu wrote: »

no different to anywhere else - motorway designation is just a set of restrictions. there are single carriageway motorways on the continent.

You don't even have to go that far. Technically we have our very own one and there are a couple in Britain too.

childoforpheus

Victor wrote: »

My brother drove on the open section of the N8 from Cahir to Cashel - there are no signs at all, neither green nor blue.

Bring on the M8! When did he drive on it? I drove it last Sunday and the green signs were still there.

At last it's now really a motorway.

BluntGuy

Yep. Fantastic stuff.

I've seen the M8 as well...

The motorway 'chopsticks' which were covered up for three months have returned! Yay! I missed them...

AugustusMaximus

Chopsticks ?

I presume you mean the 100m exit markers ?

Victor

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Chopsticks ?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Motorway_CZ.svg/341px-Motorway_CZ.svg.png

Zube

I passed a crew working on the blue signage on the Athlone/Moate section heading East this morning, and they were NOT taking the kinds of precautions you see real motorway maintenance people taking in other countries. They were using one van with illuminated >> signs parked in the hard shoulder, but had no cones out, no lane closed and weren't wearing hi-vis gear (in the fog!).

I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before one of these guys is killed if they keep that up.

steyr fan

Zube wrote: »

I passed a crew working on the blue signage on the Athlone/Moate section heading East this morning, and they were NOT taking the kinds of precautions you see real motorway maintenance people taking in other countries. They were using one van with illuminated >> signs parked in the hard shoulder, but had no cones out, no lane closed and weren't wearing hi-vis gear (in the fog!).

I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before one of these guys is killed if they keep that up.

I saw the exact same thing on the M4 near the Celbridge interchange a few days ago - a guy wearing a dirty hi-vis vest working a strimmer in the central foliage median, except HE was on the motorway, while the strimmer was cutting grass. There was NO warning about it, traffic whizzing by at +120kph.

How long until tragedy? Where is the RSA? Health & Safety? The Guards?

D.L.R.

steyr fan wrote: »

I saw the exact same thing on the M4 near the Celbridge interchange a few days ago - a guy wearing a dirty hi-vis vest working a strimmer in the central foliage median, except HE was on the motorway, while the strimmer was cutting grass. There was NO warning about it, traffic whizzing by at +120kph.

How long until tragedy? Where is the RSA? Health & Safety? The Guards?

Hopefully in the future, Motorways (with a capital M) can open having already gone through this designation procedure as matter of course. Its not very cost effective to have to produce two whole sets of signs for a 50km road, many times over.

I reckon thats why they're sending these lads out to do it on the fly, because its an expense nobody budgeted for. All I can say is I hope those green signs are reusable, and its good this is being cleared up once and for all.

BluntGuy

Well, in fairness the Kilbeggan-Athlone, Cahir-Mitchlestown and Carlow Bypass stretches opened with the blue signage.

But I get your point completely. Replacing green signage on roads like the Cashel-Bypass and Kinnegad-Kilbeggan is a complete waste of money.

Still, I'm just happy the ugly gaffer tape that covered up half the signs is now gone.

Victor

Zube wrote: »

I passed a crew working on the blue signage on the Athlone/Moate section heading East this morning, and they were NOT taking the kinds of precautions you see real motorway maintenance people taking in other countries. They were using one van with illuminated >> signs parked in the hard shoulder, but had no cones out, no lane closed and weren't wearing hi-vis gear (in the fog!).

I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before one of these guys is killed if they keep that up.

Send a complaint to their employer, the council and the HSA.

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Contact_Us/