M6 - Ballinasloe to Galway

Chris_533976

Unfortunately due to the Athlone bypass its not continuous, but if you ignore that little blip

Sponge Bob

The two M6 sections will be around 90 miles long between them , at a guess. I would say the M8 has it bate.

Carawaystick

roosterman71 wrote: »

Heard that today too. They say a trip from Dublin to Galway will take 2 hours. It will have 2 tolls - €1.90 in Ballinasloe and €2.90 in Kinnegad.

Also, in todays Athlone Advertiser it says the road is opening next Friday, Dec. 18th. It will be the first inter-urban motorway to fully open.

Will the M4 toll have to go back down as the hapenny vat will be gone?
Didn't they put up the price last Dec1 when the vat went up?

NedNew

Lucan to the start of the Athlone bypass is about 90 km.

The stretch from Athlone to Galway is about 80 km, give or take.

I think the M8 stretch is over well 100 km?

Amtmann

NedNew wrote: »

Lucan to the start of the Athlone bypass is about 90 km.

The stretch from Athlone to Galway is about 80 km, give or take.

I think the M8 stretch is over well 100 km?

Lucan is M4 territory. We must measure the M6 from Kinnegad to Athlone east, and from Athlone west to the western extremity of the M6 G-B scheme.

The M8 is currently 129km long.

Geogregor

Furet wrote: »

Lucan is M4 territory. We must measure the M6 from Kinnegad to Athlone east, and from Athlone west to the western extremity of the M6 G-B scheme.

The M8 is currently 129km long.

Dublin - Galway apx 200km, all the way dual carriageway, no intersections, level crossings and all that crap. That's the most important point. Stop moaning about the details guys

df1985

just looking for some advice regarding this road, im heading to westport for new years eve and am not familair with the N5.considering i could make it to galway now within 2 hours would it be worthwile taking the m6 all the way and heading to westport from there, or sticking with the N5 route?? is the headford road a good road?

L1011

df1985 wrote: »

just looking for some advice regarding this road, im heading to westport for new years eve and am not familair with the N5.considering i could make it to galway now within 2 hours would it be worthwile taking the m6 all the way and heading to westport from there, or sticking with the N5 route?? is the headford road a good road?

The N84 isn't great. You're really doing two sides of a triangle by going M6/N84, it'd be about an hour and a half from Galway to Westport.

I'd stick to the N5.

veryangryman

MYOB wrote: »

The N84 isn't great. You're really doing two sides of a triangle by going M6/N84, it'd be about an hour and a half from Galway to Westport.

I'd stick to the N5.

Or....

M6 to Athlone, N61 to Tulsk, N5 to Mayo


Still pretty dodgy roads once you leave Roscommon though

Tech3

df1985 wrote: »

is the headford road a good road?

Never take this road, it's really that bad, if you were going that route the N17/N60/N5 is better after the M6. Most regional roads are better than the N84.

I've only driven from Charlestown to Westport on the N5 so cant really comment on that route but it's probably adequate enough.

KevR

tech2 wrote: »

Never take this road, it's really that bad, if you were going that route the N17/N60/N5 is better after the M6. Most regional roads are better than the N84.

I've only driven from Charlestown to Westport on the N5 so cant really comment on that route but it's probably adequate enough.

Would agree with this. Drove to Castlebar once at night in bad weather on the N84 and it was my worst driving experience ever - the road is appalling. I came home on the N60 and N17 which was much better, but still not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination.

I made the point before that when the M6 is fully complete, more people will drive directly West and then North or South instead of branching off onto crappy roads further East. It's only a good thing and will probably save lives. When the M17/18 links up with the M6 it will mean people will be able to avoid using many other bad routes, not just the old N6/17/18.

Got a few photos of the M6 from around Athenry today which I'm just uploading at the moment.

KevR

This was my last chance to go out for a look at the M6 before it opens on Friday. I'm doing exams during the week so won't get another chance. I might be driving to Dublin on Friday; I can't see it being open in the morning on the way to Dublin but it should be on the way home in the evening .

All pictures are from the R348 overbridge South-East of Athenry. Quality isn't the best because there was some fog at the time.

Click thumnails for full size images.

Looking West:


Signage looking West:


Looking East:


Work on a fence which will help reduce the amount of noise that reaches the nearby houses:

Sponge Bob

Christ on a bike, how much land was taken for the M6 ?? :eek: . I thought the surplus land take for a third lane was from the airport to Rathmorrissey only

KevR

I drive Galway to Athenry on a fairly regular basis and I can't wait to see the back of the R348 between Derrydonnell and Athenry. Its condition has deteriorated so much in the last while.

• It has always been narrow.
• It has always had bad bends.
• It has always had lunatic drivers overtaking in dangerous locations.
• Lately the surface has gotten really bad.
• Lately the road markings have faded and, as there are no cat's eyes, it is difficult to see where you are going at night (and I'm very familiar with the road. Imagine what it's like for someone driving on it for the first time!!).
• When you get to the N6 T-junction at Derrydonnell when coming from Athenry, the stop sign is twisted sideways and the white stop line has completely faded.
• There is a stop-and-go in place at the M6 underbridge. The lights take 10 mins to change. I'd be half way home in that 10 mins!

It's a miracle that more people haven't been killed or seriously injured on the R348. Once the M6 opens, the vast majority will be able to avoid the R348.

Re: the stop-and-go at the M6 underbridge - it looks like they are digging down the R348 under the M6 to lower the road. I don't think it was high enough for certain HGVs. Must have been something to do with the incline of the M6 (when it's rising to go over the R348) that stopped them building a slightly higher bridge in the first place.

KevR

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Christ on a bike, how much land was taken for the M6 ?? :eek: . I thought the surplus land take for a third lane was from the airport to Rathmorrissey only

It could just be near that overbridge. It's wider than most overbridges and is curving.

Irish and Proud

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Christ on a bike, how much land was taken for the M6 ?? :eek: . I thought the surplus land take for a third lane was from the airport to Rathmorrissey only

...yeah, the land take looks pretty substantial! :eek:

Now, I know there is something like a 5m working platform either side of a motorway and associated earthworks such a cuttings etc, but the provisions here seem a lot more generous! Wonder is it 3rd lane provision?

Regards!

Irish and Proud

KevR wrote: »

It could just be near that overbridge. It's wider than most overbridges and is curving.

Well, that supersedes my last post! The bridge however, it's enormous - more of these skewed multi-span bridges seem to be cropping up again - they're getting more like the M1 - a motorway with its many over-elaborate bridges designed before Seamus Brennan slimmed down the excesses as Transport Minister.

Maybe the money would be much better spent on 3.0m hard shoulders, rather than the current 2.5m standard H/S (IMO, a mistake under Seamus Brennan) on roads spanned by excessive bridges!

Regards!

Sponge Bob

Aw I dunno, that road will do fine for the next 50 years

More attenuating ponds could be retrofitted in that land take instead. It is in the Dunkellin catchment after all.

KevR

Just posted this over in the Galway City forum also. Meant to post it here last night but forgot.

KevR wrote:

Anyone know what they're doing up at the Galway Clinic roundabout? It looks like they're building a left turning free-flow slip lane to bypass the roundabout when going from the Dublin Road Outbound onto the N6 Dual Carriageway towards the M6 roundabout.

Can anyone confirm? I've not heard anything about it. If it is a free-flow slip then it's a good move and will help traffic in the area (especially at evening rush hour).

ohnoigotsick

KevR wrote: »

Just posted this over in the Galway City forum also. Meant to post it here last night but forgot.

i'd say it is an extra lane to go left - i think it might be a bit tight to get in lane after a free flow slip lane for the motorway


on an off topic thread , anyone know whats going on with the M4 around enfield and the road works there

ohnoigotsick

ohnoigotsick wrote: »

on an off topic thread , anyone know whats going on with the M4 around enfield and the road works there

It's for construction of the motorway service stations.

?Cee?view

Deleted User wrote: »

It's for construction of the motorway service stations.

I thought they weren't going ahead?

Chris_533976

M1 and M4 ones are, rest are cancelled.

rubensni

Does anyone know what time the road will be open from on Friday?

roosterman71

rubensni wrote: »

Does anyone know what time the road will be open from on Friday?

Most likely late morning/lunch time

Delta Kilo

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Wonder is it 3rd lane provision?

But the third lane wouldn't fit under the bridge?

spacetweek

Chris_533976 wrote: »

M1 and M4 ones are, rest are cancelled.

You always exaggerate Chris! They aren't cancelled, just delayed.

emfifty

roosterman71 wrote: »

Most likely late morning/lunch time

11am by min. for transport. (aa website)

emfifty

emfifty wrote: »

11am by min. for transport. (aa website)

If it's anything like the Athlone Ballinasloe opening, it won't be open to general traffic 'till about 4PM.

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

If it's anything like the Athlone Ballinasloe opening, it won't be open to general traffic 'till about 4PM.

Wasn't it the central median which they had broken through for the diversion that caused the delay in opening? They had to re-instate the median before it could open.

Both ends of the Galway-Ballinasloe scheme will just involve removing cones, there's no messy little tie-in work to do on the opening day. Fingers crossed it will open earlier than 4pm..