M6 - Athlone to Ballinasloe

I had a quick look at "The Bridge over the river shannon" (has a ring to it!) and it appears that the expansion gap has failled at the roscommon end, it has been warmer recently.
If the gap is blocked with debris and it gets warmer the gap can't close and the road surface will break up next to it, leaving a big hole.

billbond4

So much for the bridge having one lane for a day, its a week now and so sign of them opening the two lanes.
The AA website says it should be open today, but i dunno

From AA roadwatch

Westmeath - The N6/Athlone Bypass is down to one lane westbound between the Coosan turnoff and the Roscommon turnoff for works
Updated: 20/03/2009 19:48:42
Avoid during rush hour as motorists have complained of up to 25 minute delays in the area.

flazio

and how are you supposed to manage that? Next bridge north is in Lanesbourgh, half an hour away, down south, unless you chance going through the town, it's Shannonbridge with it's permanent 1 way stop go system

There is a lot of activity around the Tuam Rd junction today, they have started to build the temporary eastbound "chicane" on the westbound LILO, looks like the changeover will happen soon.

ohnoigotsick

lads whats a LILO

ohnoigotsick

ohnoigotsick wrote: »

lads whats a LILO

Left in Left out, it means a junction where both the on ramp and exit ramp are together.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

Left in Left out, it means a junction where both the on ramp and exit ramp are together.

Am a bit confussd as to where exactly the eastbound traveller can now get onto the DC at Monksland. Where is the Central Reservations to be cut open, and will this whole area require :eek: traffic lights?

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Am a bit confussd as to where exactly the eastbound traveller can now get onto the DC at Monksland. Where is the Central Reservations to be cut open, and will this whole area require :eek: traffic lights?

I think the central reservation will be opened up between the westbound on and off ramps, the westbound on ramp will become the eastbound mainline hopping over the westbound carriageway and landing on the eastbound carriageway by the bridge. That roundabout will be very bust at peak times.

flazio

Sounds like fun times ahead, in the meantime the RAB is progressing well near Dolans SS outside Ballinasloe. Could someone explain why there needs to be new a road between the Shannonbridge road and the current N6? Surely anyone getting off the Motorway at that point can just follow the Shannonbridge road into Ballinasloe.

flazio

flazio wrote: »

Sounds like fun times ahead, in the meantime the RAB is progressing well near Dolans SS outside Ballinasloe. Could someone explain why there needs to be new a road between the Shannonbridge road and the current N6? Surely anyone getting off the Motorway at that point can just follow the Shannonbridge road into Ballinasloe.

I believe it's to allow westbound traffic from the old N6 to join the motorway without going into Ballinasloe and then going east to go west.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

I believe it's to allow westbound traffic from the old N6 to join the motorway without going into Ballinasloe and then going east to go west.

And obviously, the more opportunities you can get to dodge that god-awful town, the better!

An afterthought.... Do you think that locals will have the cop to use the old Tuam Road when all D-G traffic is routed through the Monksland Roundabout?

Or better yet, will the planners have the cop to signpost the diversion to Tuam-bound travellers, so that th burden on the roundabout is at least eased. As someone stuck in the middle of all that mayhem, i would like to hope they would.

I say this because when the Westbound Tuam Exit was closed, alot of people were stupid enough to go through the "actual" diversion rather than the "smart" one (U-turn at Summerhill), causing chaos and then some. Granted not everyone knows these roads that well etc, but there were alot of locals also guilty of this

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

An afterthought.... Do you think that locals will have the cop to use the old Tuam Road when all D-G traffic is routed through the Monksland Roundabout?

All local traffic will be using the old Tuam road, this is because the (new) Tuam Rd will be closed between the roundabout & Elan while the road is rebuilt and another roundabout built next to Pharmaplatz.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

All local traffic will be using the old Tuam road, this is becaust the (new) Tuam Rd will be closed between the roundabout & Elan while the road is rebuilt and another roundabout built next to Pharmaplatz.

Just to clarify, they can hardly close the road altogether. One still needs to access the Daneshill area. How else could Aidan Beatties and co do their tow-truck work (and ~500 people get to and from their homes )

So i guess it will just become a cul de sac (local acces only etc)

kaizersoze

Progress from N6 overbridge heading West.

West from N6 Overbridge at Thomastown.


East from Shannonbridge Rd Overbridge (L2039).

West from Shannonbridge Rd Overbridge (L2039).


East from Loughlackagh Overbridge (L2041).

West from Loughlackagh Overbridge (L2041).


East from Tonvey Overbridge (L7616).

West from Tonvey Overbridge (L7616).


East from Kilbegly Overbridge (L7600).

West from Kilbegly Overbridge (L7600).


All taken 26/03/09

Amtmann

Kaiser, are those pictures of the Athlone to B/sloe scheme OR the B/sloe to Galway scheme?

kaizersoze

Furet wrote: »

Kaiser, are those pictures of the Athlone to B/sloe scheme OR the B/sloe to Galway scheme?

Athlone to Ballinasloe, starting at the new overbridge on the N6 at Thomastown and following it west to near Ballinasloe.

The other scheme has a long way to go to reach that stage.

Amtmann

kaizersoze wrote: »

Athlone to Ballinasloe, starting at the new overbridge on the N6 at Thomastown and following it west to near Ballinasloe.

It looks like it could open by August or September.

kaizersoze

Aye. They're working near 24hr shifts on the Eastern interchange, rab's and link road to the N6. The Shannonbridge rd is closed tonight to allow works on the rab there. I don't see what the big rush is for really. It won't be needed for a few months at least and it's nearly complete as it is.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Just to clarify, they can hardly close the road altogether. One still needs to access the Daneshill area. How else could Aidan Beatties and co do their tow-truck work (and ~500 people get to and from their homes )

So i guess it will just become a cul de sac (local acces only etc)

Yes, it's just the crappy section between the bridge and Elan that's being closed while the roundabout is built.

Edit: work has started on opening the central reservation for the crossover.
edit2: cones for the work to open the central reservation have been placed but the work has not started! :rolleyes:

Stroke Politics

Coming in late on this one fellas, so forgive me if this has been asked before:

Is there going to be a new turn-off for Portumna, or do you have to go through Ballinasloe? I presume this road is going through Moher or Poolboy? the Portumna-B'sloe road is woedious. but I'd be more inclined to take it heading east if there was a motorway connecting B'sloe, than go via Birr on to Kilbeggan......

kaizersoze

Stroke Politics wrote: »

Coming in late on this one fellas, so forgive me if this has been asked before:

Is there going to be a new turn-off for Portumna, or do you have to go through Ballinasloe? I presume this road is going through Moher or Poolboy? the Portumna-B'sloe road is woedious. but I'd be more inclined to take it heading east if there was a motorway connecting B'sloe, than go via Birr on to Kilbeggan......

This thread is about the Athlone to East Ballinasloe scheme so you'll still have to go through the town for Portumna even when this scheme is open.
East Ballinasloe to Galway is going through both Moher & Poolboy.
The existing Ballinasloe/Portumna road will be permanently closed at Moher where the M6 crosses it and a footbridge put in place for pedestrians. There will be an exit off the Western interchange at Mackney to the existing Portumna road. This is only a couple of 100 meters long though and then you're back onto the existing Portumna road.

Thread on the East Ballinasloe/Galway scheme is here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055420133

Stroke Politics

kaizersoze wrote: »

This thread is about the Athlone to East Ballinasloe scheme so you'll still have to go through the town for Portumna even when this scheme is open.
East Ballinasloe to Galway is going through both Moher & Poolboy.
The existing Ballinasloe/Portumna road will be permanently closed at Moher where the M6 crosses it and a footbridge put in place for pedestrians. There will be an exit off the Western interchange at Mackney to the existing Portumna road. This is only a couple of 100 meters long though and then you're back onto the existing Portumna road.

Thread on the East Ballinasloe/Galway scheme is here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055420133

Sound.

billbond4

I would love to know what they are up to on the main bridge in athlone, it was down to one lane for the last two weeks, back to two lanes on monday, and now back to one lane since.
I know they are replacing the seal between the bridge and the motorway, seen a few lads messing about in hi-vis vest and a big truck that said sealants on the side of it but as Ronan Keating would says C'mon !!

It cant take 3 weeks to put a bit of rubber strip in a road, or am i wrong?

billbond4

billbond4 wrote: »

I would love to know what they are up to on the main bridge in athlone, it was down to one lane for the last two weeks, back to two lanes on monday, and now back to one lane since.
I know they are replacing the seal between the bridge and the motorway, seen a few lads messing about in hi-vis vest and a big truck that said sealants on the side of it but as Ronan Keating would says C'mon !!

It cant take 3 weeks to put a bit of rubber strip in a road, or am i wrong?

Maybe that stuff is temperature sensitive and cant be applied in cold conditions, more likely there's only one contractor who can do the job and he was busy on a new motorway somewhere.

billbond4

Maybe, but they closed lanes two years ago for the same fault, you think they would "plan" to replace it every few years.

Just seen on aa website
"These restrictions are in place until this Saturday (4th April) due to roadworks. Caution is advised on approach."

highway-man

the two fast lanes have been closed due to works that needed to be done in the central reservation for foundations for over head sign gantrys that will be starting soon and removal of the old concrete central barrier , communications and various other works, most of these havent started yet beut outer survey work has to be done in the mean time

flazio

The RAB just beyond Dolans outside Ballinasloe is finished and it's even been given a name. The Beagh Roundabout as is declared on signs that despite the fact the road is a good few km's past the border, bear the Galway County Crest.

flazio

flazio wrote: »

The RAB just beyond Dolans outside Ballinasloe is finished and it's even been given a name. The Beagh Roundabout as is declared on signs that despite the fact the road is a good few km's past the border, bear the Galway County Crest.

Galway's expanding so!

Sponge Bob

flazio wrote: »

bear the Galway County Crest.

LOL at all the bad toupees hopping up and down in fury at the next Ros Co Co meet !

KevR

Does anyone know when the N6 bridge over the M6 (construction site) a few kms from Athlone will be fully open (ie - one lane in each direction, rather than one lane for both directions with a Stop-and-Go system in place)?

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Does anyone know when the N6 bridge over the M6 (construction site) a few kms from Athlone will be fully open (ie - one lane in each direction, rather than one lane for both directions with a Stop-and-Go system in place)?

It's been two lanes for the past couple of weeks, may be temporary works while constructing the embankment. The westbound side of the road wasn't built up the old road was in the way!

Give it a few more weeks.

Amtmann

Scheme: Galway to Ballinasloe
Length: 56km
Contractor: ICON
Official Completion Date: Q2 2010

Scheme: Athlone to Ballinasloe
Length: 19.4km
Contractor: SIAC Willis
Official Completion Date: Q4 2009

So. Predictions?

Looking at Kaiser's photos it looks like the A-B scheme will open around August or September.

RE Galway to Ballinalsoe, I heard a few months ago that we were looking at a Christmas opening, but perhaps this has slipped back to Q1 2010. Does anyone know?

ohnoigotsick

i know it's off topic , but can anyone tell me the significance of the art works on the M6 between kinegad and killbegan , i remember seeing that all infrastructure projects funded from the EU had to have some sort of artisitc piece along the road side ? but it looks brutal

antoobrien

Furet wrote: »

RE Galway to Ballinalsoe, I heard a few months ago that we were looking at a Christmas opening, but perhaps this has slipped back to Q1 2010. Does anyone know?

Target date is still 04/01/2010 (http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ContractorsNewsletters/file,16124,en.pdf) and if you read the other files in this section (http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ContractorsNewsletters/) it appears that this target has remained constant.

Realistically anyone see people working over christmas to get this done? I think it'll have to be done before the christmas break, but then common sense is somethig that has been absent in Ireland for the past several years.

mysterious

Are there delays on the G-B scheme or what? There were protest there a few months back? This is one of the largest schemes to go in one chunk.

Realistically can anyone give the completetion date, since the bonus schemes are over, I seriously doubt an early completetion anyhow.

KevR

There was a protest but I don't think it caused any sort of delay worth talking about.

When I was out around the Galway end and out near Athenry last Saturday there were people on site working. That to me says they're keen to get it done as soon as they can.

They seem to be on target for having all construction traffic off public roads and onto the mainline by the end of April/beginning of May as most of the bridges and structures I have seen are almost complete.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to how long more it will take once they're using the mainline for construction traffic?

kaizersoze

I can't see it complete and open before August/September 2010. If it does I'd be shocked.

I was at the public meetings when it was going through planning and originally the Ballinasloe-Galway was supposed to start 1 year before Athlone to Ballinasloe. That meant both would finish around the same time and basically open together.
That didn't happen due to objections, trouble with cpo completions and the sheer size and complexity of the project. Both schemes then started at the same time. So it's fair to assume there will be a year gap in completion dates.

The protests last year delayed nothing really except the 3 small local sections where they happened for a couple of days.

Chris_533976

Theres still a ton of work to do on this, so I really dunno.

This is the 2nd biggest scheme to date at 56km. The M3 is longer FWIW, as will the N17/18 PPP (at 57km).

Sponge Bob

Athlone-Ballinsaloe will be open in time for the Galway Races I feel , 3.5 months hence

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Does anyone know when the N6 bridge over the M6 (construction site) a few kms from Athlone will be fully open (ie - one lane in each direction, rather than one lane for both directions with a Stop-and-Go system in place)?

Deleted User wrote: »

It's been two lanes for the past couple of weeks, may be temporary works while constructing the embankment. The westbound side of the road wasn't built up the old road was in the way!

Give it a few more weeks.

On the way home yesterday and on the way to work this morning it was one narrow lane in each direction. It looks like the should be finished in a few weeks (like you said) and we will have 1 wide lane in each direction over the bridge.

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Athlone-Ballinsaloe will be open in time for the Galway Races I feel , 3.5 months hence

Is it time to open a book on the opening date.


My money's on the first week of September!

EAFC_rdfl

KevR wrote: »

On the way home yesterday and on the way to work this morning it was one narrow lane in each direction. It looks like the should be finished in a few weeks (like you said) and we will have 1 wide lane in each direction over the bridge.

Looking at it this morning, I thought it would be squared up at the end of the week to be honest, they have the most of the 2nd lane (left handside going west) tarmacced up to the same height as whats there presently, all they need to do is patch it all together now.AA roadwatch were saying stop-go will be in place at summerhill from 7-7 but no sign earlier anyway

kaizersoze

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Athlone-Ballinsaloe will be open in time for the Galway Races I feel , 3.5 months hence

Optimistic but not impossible I suppose.

Deleted User wrote:

My money's on the first week of September!

That'd be my guess aswell.

Major delays around the Summerhill roundabout at the moment, it looks like the link road is finally getting it's top layer of tarmac.

veryangryman

kaizersoze wrote: »

Optimistic but not impossible I suppose.

I doubt anyones really arsed about Athlone-Ballinasloe opening in time for the races. You dont really save much time on the journey with this section. Certainly not as significant as Moate being out of the way last year.

Obviously the sooner it opens. brilliant for safety etc, but Ballinasloe bypass will be "the big one" for me

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

Major delays around the Summerhill roundabout at the moment, it looks like the link road is finally getting it's top layer of tarmac.

Sorry for my stupidity but is that the RAB at the Western end of the Athlone Bypass?


Incidentally, I noticed that at the Beagh roundabout just East of Ballinasloe they have Athlone/current N6 signposted as the R446.

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Sorry for my stupidity but is that the RAB at the Western end of the Athlone Bypass?


Incidentally, I noticed that at the Beagh roundabout just East of Ballinasloe they have Athlone/current N6 signposted as the R446.

Yes, that's the one.

R446... OK, I was wondering what it would become.

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, that's the one.

R446... OK, I was wondering what it would become.

I'm pretty sure it said R446 but will check on the way home and confirm.

?Cee?view

veryangryman wrote: »

I doubt anyones really arsed about Athlone-Ballinasloe opening in time for the races. You dont really save much time on the journey with this section. Certainly not as significant as Moate being out of the way last year.

Obviously the sooner it opens. brilliant for safety etc, but Ballinasloe bypass will be "the big one" for me

I think the Athlone - Ballinasloe section does bypass Ballinasloe. I think it terminates to the west of Ballinasloe, so when it opens all that'll be left to drive through will be Kilreekil (sp?), Loughrea and Craughwell.