M6 - Ballinasloe to Galway

Chris_533976

Yeah I was wondering where he was

Delta Kilo

There are some great photos of the current state of Ballinasloe on this thread http://www.ballinasloe.com/forum/index.php/topic,2222.0.html

And also here:
http://ballinasloe.com/photos/v/Flooding/

Chris_533976

Oh yeah while I think about it. Has anyone who has been along this seen if there is any provision at all (ie anything built) for the Rathmorrisey M6/17/18 junction?

KevR

Poor Kaizer!

I know a few people in Ballinasloe, am concerned about them!

kaizersoze

Apologies for the lack of info but as Delta Kilo said my house took a serious hit on thursday night. Everyone ok but house is fu¢ked

Drove the stretch today in a rush so didn't pass much remarks.

sdanseo

kaizersoze wrote: »

Apologies for the lack of info but as Delta Kilo said my house took a serious hit on thursday night. Everyone ok but house is fu¢ked

Drove the stretch today in a rush so didn't pass much remarks.

Sorry to hear that bud, hope things get back on track for you ASAP.

We'll make do without the updates, I'm sure!

dubhthach

Here's a clip I found on youtube, showing the N6 briefly beside the harbour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsKraWVHBcQ

KevR

Used the R348 to get to Athenry a few mins ago and there was a stop and go when going through the M6 underbridge. Was stopped at a red light there for a few minutes and there was a constant stream of headlights moving along in each direction on the M6. It's hard to tell what speed traffic was moving at just by looking but I'd say it was pretty close to 50kmh. Saw one car heading East bombing it passed the line of cars on the inside - what a d1ck! Saw a Garda patrol travelling Westbound also, pity the didn't see that car undercutting everyone.

Sponge Bob

MNDGZ uploaded this picture of a Bridge in Craughwell where the flood on the Dunkellin has thankfully subsided .

I somehow cannot see this bridge opening this week because it buckled with the force of the water . Note the way the road is ripped across on both sides of teh bridge as it buckled .

Sponge Bob

They are going to reopen the N6 in Craughwell tomorrow morning

http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Flooding%20Advisory%20Notice.pdf

The situation at Craughwell has improved and it is hoped that the N6 at Craughwell will be open to traffic at 7a.m. tomorrow, Monday 23rd November, 2009.

Sections of the M6 from Loughrea to Galway City remain open on a temporary basis. This matter will be reviewed at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Monday, 23rd November, 2009.

DanielI

KevR wrote: »

Used the R348 to get to Athenry a few mins ago and there was a stop and go when going through the M6 underbridge. Was stopped at a red light there for a few minutes and there was a constant stream of headlights moving along in each direction on the M6. It's hard to tell what speed traffic was moving at just by looking but I'd say it was pretty close to 50kmh. Saw one car heading East bombing it passed the line of cars on the inside - what a d1ck! Saw a Garda patrol travelling Westbound also, pity the didn't see that car undercutting everyone.

Yeah! Quite a lot of reckless drivers today. I had to drive to Dublin and back to Galway. The minute I entered the M6 at the Coolagh R/A, I was tailgated by a SUV, who was obviously upset that was keeping to 50ish Km/h. He started getting close, then braking, then getting close again, flashing lights while at it. I was clinching the wheel to the point I was bending it, when I saw the flashing blues behind the SUV.:D:D. The Gardai pull him over for a little chat. Nobody "picked on me" anymore and I led the convoy at 50kph up to Loughrea Link Rd.

Fair play to Gardai, for making them seen on the road. Very good enforcement of the rules.:)

Aidan Mc

Travelled east from Galway yesterday and travelled back to Galway today, using new road from Galway to Loughrea, old road from Loughrea to Ballinasloe, and new road around Ballinasloe.

Much increased Garda presence on it today compared to yesterday, also more electronic display signs. It is great to have this route available, well done to all involved in getting it opened so quickly. I'd say this temporary opening will put back the actual opening by a few weeks, though they were working on the other lanes yesterday and today. While I was on it, the traffic was moving steady at 50km/h all the way. The only delays were getting on and off the section around Ballinasloe, due to the fact that a single sliproad is being used for all traffic to join/leave the new road, so a stop/go system is in place at both ends (junctions 14 and 15). But in fairness there wasn't much of a delay and, given the circumstances, I don't think anybody cared about the small delays.

Around Ballinasloe, all traffic is using the eastbound lanes. As mentioned above, all traffic joins/leaves using a single sliproad, so stop/go system in place. You cannot join/leave it directly with the existing M6 Dublin-Ballinasloe (junstion 14) - you have to use the roundabouts and sliproads. At the Galway side of the town, all traffic is using the eastbound slipway at juntion 15 (new Portumna road) to connect with the old N6.

On the Loughrea-Galway section, all traffic is using the westbound lanes. Accessing it in Galway, you have to join from the new Doughiska roundabout (you must be approach this side from Western Motors roundabout, even if coming from the Galway Clinic roundabout - travel to Western Motors roundabout and back down to new Doughiska roundabout then). All traffic joins/leaves the new road at junction 16 (Loughrea/Kiltullagh), the lanes are seperated and the sliproads for joining/leaving are fully open. As this junction is approx 6 miles from Loughrea, the new Loughrea link road is open and connects to the Loughrea bypass at the middle roundabout.

Here's some pics of the road (travelling west to Galway):

Looking towards Ballinasloe from the new bridge over River Suck and Grand Canal (all one due to the flooding)


The eastbound slipway of juncstion 15 (for joining M6 from Ballinasloe west/Portumna Rd) is being used for all traffic to join/leave the road at the moment


Westbound distance sign west of junction 17/Athenry (note Baile Chláir is included, not Sligo)


Gantry on westbound carraigeway before junction 19 (N17/N18 junction at Carn Mór)


Junction 19 directional sign (blue sign with green patching)


Westbound distance sign, west of junction 19 (note sign is green not blue and shows N6 not M6)


One half of the westbound directional sign before Doughiska, showing Galway City (East) and Docks - the other half will show Galway City (West), Clifden and Castlebar (note sign is blue)

35x

How is it that there are always a couple of morons who just can't see the benefit of opening the "temp" M6 even at 50 kph as opposed to massive tailbacks or stuck in a flood! An accident caused by these idiots could block up or close the whole road, but much more important - have they learned anything from the dreadful tradgedy in Ballindine last week? Let's hope the Gardai nail those guys.

Chris_533976

Thanks for the pics. Seems the signage on this section is going to be a massive confusing mess.

cjpm

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Thanks for the pics. Seems the signage on this section is going to be a massive confusing mess.

AFAIK the blue signage between Coolagh and Gleannascaul is to be replaced with green as the section is not part of the Motorway (as a few people have pointed out here previously)

CrowdedHouse

Saw a lot more Garda cars on the Loughrea - Galway section this morning.They even seemed to be watching the link road to Loughrea for speed.

I was delayed at Ballinasloe (eastbound) for about an hour and a quarter.Still I'm grateful to have some way through.
Was looking right at the mway bridge over the river and I could have been looking at the ocean Water as far as I could see.

sdanseo

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Thanks for the pics. Seems the signage on this section is going to be a massive confusing mess.

No change from the status quo, so. :pac:

L1011

Aidan Mc wrote: »

Westbound distance sign west of junction 17/Athenry (note Baile Chláir is included, not Sligo)

This sign shows everything that is bad about O'Cuiv's fascist attitude to Irish language placenames. I'm FROM a gaeltacht and had no idea there where "Baile Chláir" was. I didn't know it was in a gaeltacht, you'd never get that impression from being there on the ground for one thing.

Providing Claregalway and Oranmore there is a bit strange, if they're claiming the road feeds the (future) M17 and M18 it should be Sligo and Limerick I'd have thought?

KevR

Also, at the Doughiska end there is a sign pointing onto the N/M6 for Galway Airport. It's sending people to N/M6 J19 --> N18 to Carnmore Cross --> R339 to the Airport. Anyone local would just double back at the Doughiska roundabout and go N6 Briarhill roundabout --> R339 Airport.

Does Baile Chlair = Claregalway? I didn't know that but probably would have figured it out eventually. In my opinion, it's pretty ignorant to just have the Irish on it.

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Does Baile Chlair = Claregalway? I didn't know that but probably would have figured it out eventually. In my opinion, it's pretty ignorant to just have the Irish on it.

I believe it does... not 100%

Not good, unless all maps have the placenames as gaeilge, just imagine a German tourist trying to find it!

icdg

It seems odd seeing an Irish-only placename on a motorway, doesn't it? Its not the first of course, both Dun Laoghaire and Port Laoise get the same treatment, but the only difference between the English and Irish spellings of the town's name is the lack of a space in Portlaoise while the English langauge spelling of Dun Laoghaire (Dunleary) is long obsolete and most people pronounce it the same anyway. So no problems with either of these. You'd be had pressed to find someone from outside the area recognising Claregalway as Baile Chlair though.

Why are they signing Galway Airport the long way? They know they can just sign "Airport" or if they're feeling particularly miserly, just the airport symbol and it does just as well!

L1011

Its all down to O'Cuiv's pet Official Languages Act, legally "Claregalway" doesn't exist as a place name.

murphaph

icdg wrote: »

Why are they signing Galway Airport the long way? They know they can just sign "Airport" or if they're feeling particularly miserly, just the airport symbol and it does just as well!

We're talking about the west of Ireland here man! They have more airports than you can shake a stick at so they need to be a bit more explicit!

murphaph

MYOB wrote: »

Its all down to O'Cuiv's pet Official Languages Act, legally "Claregalway" doesn't exist as a place name.

That should make it handy for the NRA to deny them a Claregalway Bypass then!

Sponge Bob

murphaph wrote: »

That should make it handy for the NRA to deny them a Claregalway Bypass then!

Not if the bypass runs through Galltacht which it will, in the main . In fact the optimal bypass route avoids the Gaeltacht completely to the east and comes out north of Mellotte Motors

and that place is Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe just as the place to the south is Gort Inse Guaire

D'Peoples Voice

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Nand that place is Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe just as the place to the south is Gort Inse Guaire

I agree with the "Chláir na Gaillimhe" bit but i'm not sure about putting the irish for word "town" at the start, that would mean Claregalway town, but if you look at Oranmore, that doesn't have a "town" suffix.
Is Oranmore not a town like Claregalway?

Sponge Bob

It is not formally called Baile , Claregalway is .

Baile Chláir is Belclare FFS

dubhthach

Of course if they got off their arses and redrew the gaelteacht boundaries to reflect reality most of these naming issues would go away. They haven't changed them in what 50years?

flazio

I just wonder now had we not had as much of the motorway built as we now do, would the west essentially be cut off from the rest of the country completely?