M6/4 Motorway Galway to Dublin (for discussing completed sections)

KevR

PS - I'll either be getting the train home to Galway or staying in Athlone. It's too bad to drive.

CrowdedHouse

Maybe it is just me but thinking about the M6 (Loughrea-Galway)..it just struck me the other day that I can't recall this section being without some sort of roadworks since it opened

KevR

They have been doing a lot of landscaping work since it opened. No roadworks as far as I know apart from on the Athenry link roads.

KevR

RE: weather conditions

I just took a walk up to J9 and it looks as though they have ploughed + gritted lane 1 on both carriageways so it's in a much better state than this morning. Lane 2 is still effectively closed around J9. Not sure what it's like elsewhere, anyone have any updates?

Rossie1

My fiancee is working in Gaway and planning to come home to Roscommon tonight. I was going to direct her to come home the new motorway to Athlone and cut off there but from above reports I am not so sure. The only other aterbative is to come home her normal route via Lackagh,ABBEYKNOCKYMOY, Mountbellew, any reports on thise roads?

Chris_5339762

I'd say they'll be in a measure of ****. Get her to stay in Galway tonight. If she must come home do it during the day (after lunch when theres most thaw). Dont for heavens sake start going anywhere now

KevR

Agree with Chris.

Conditions on the M6 improved during the day yesterday so I left work early and drove home while it was still bright. No way in hell was I going to drive home in the dark after the nightmare yesterday morning.

Took the train today. Ceannt station is a 25 minute walk from my house and Athlone station is a 35 minutes from where I work - will have to make do with it this week unfortunately.

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Took the train today. Ceannt station is a 25 minute walk from my house and Athlone station is a 35 minutes from where I work - will have to make do with it this week unfortunately.

If conditions there are anything like in Dublin, get yourself a decent pair of boots (or use golf shoes if they're lying about)

Zubeneschamali

Did Athlone-Galway yesterday and today, no problems on the M6 really. Only the 10km nearest Athlone is a problem (overtaking lane full of snow), and of course Athlone itself is a disaster.

Picked up two lads who'd run out of petrol a few miles short of the Loughrea exit this morning.

cjdj30

anybody know what the n4 is like lucan to johnstown and then on to edenderry? had to do this run tomorrow (fri) can't b avoided but worried bout the roads.

KevR

RTE News wrote:

Roads in Mullingar and Athlone are particularly bad and there have been a number of minor collisions on the M4 Galway to Dublin road near Moate.

RTE have been mixing the M4 and M6 up all week. Bound to cause confusion for some people.

Zubeneschamali

Thick fog and slippery enough near Ballinasloe today.

KevR

Anyone else notice that many signposts around Galway City have been updated?
(i.e. - green/white signs patched with small except the 'M6' is in brackets, couldn't find the exact image).


I'm not a signage expert but it seems to be inconsistent around Galway and I think it's done wrong in some places.

Chris_5339762

Technically its the N6 they should be signposting isnt it.

veryangryman

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Technically its the N6 they should be signposting isnt it.

Well...brackets indicate that if you keep going that way, you will eventually reach the M6. Which is true.

But the signage is pretty brutal IMO - one would hope it will all tidy itself up when the bypass ever gets built

Jayuu

veryangryman wrote: »

Well...brackets indicate that if you keep going that way, you will eventually reach the M6. Which is true.

But the signage is pretty brutal IMO - one would hope it will all tidy itself up when the bypass ever gets built

Sounds very like the patching that was on the Kilkenny bypass when the first part of the M9 motorway opened. I don't know if they improved it when the final part was completed.

KevR

Anyone passed through the M6 toll today? How much did you get charged for a car?

I wasn't driving my usual car (which has an electronic tag) so I used one of the coin basket lanes. "Car - €1.80" came up on the screen. I only had a €2 coin so that's what I paid. Also, as I was approaching the toll booth a guy ahead of me went into the express lane and I saw that €1.80 flashed up on the screen for him too.

Have the reduced their prices down from €1.90?? I will go to one of the manned lanes on the way home and try to find out what the story is..

As far as I know, the toll operators are comitted to matching inflation with their pricing.
If this is true, it's deflation we're in!

KevR

I was under the impression that they had to match inflation for increases (i.e. - the can't ever increase their prices more than the rate of inflation) but they were under no obligation to reduce their prices in-line with deflation (although they could if they wanted to). If that is the case then fair play to the M6 toll operators for reducing their charges when the cost of petrol/diesel has gone really high (because of tax hikes :mad:).

I could be wrong though..

KevR

Just checked the M6 toll operator's website (I really should have done that in the first place!!) and they have reduced their charges!!!


EDIT: Just checked the tolling information for the M4 and they have not reduced their prices for 2011. They really should be the first people to reduce their prices!

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Just checked the M6 toll operator's website (I really should have done that in the first place!!) and they have reduced their charges!!!


EDIT: Just checked the tolling information for the M4 and they have not reduced their prices for 2011. They really should be the first people to reduce their prices!

There was something in the papers just before christmas about the NRA trying to force the toll operators to reduce tier toll prices since they are supposed to be linked to inflation. They (toll companies) were opposing it.

L1011

Down 20c for me (van), not that I pay it myself (expenses) but it'll reduce how often easytrip sting my creditcard!

flazio

I reckon that probably works out really well for the N6 (yes that's what they are called) concession company as I reckon quite a few in a hurry motorists just chuck a €2 coin in the basket and drive on. Now instead of making an extra 10c, they are making an extra 20c for every person who throws €2 into the basket.

L1011

flazio wrote: »

I reckon that probably works out really well for the N6 (yes that's what they are called) concession company as I reckon quite a few in a hurry motorists just chuck a €2 coin in the basket and drive on. Now instead of making an extra 10c, they are making an extra 20c for every person who throws €2 into the basket.

They're still taking in a total of €2. The VAT difference on the 10c extra that isn't part of the "sale" isn't going to make them much extra.

They are likely to get some more HGV traffic from the reductions, as the fall for higher tolls is more noticeable - probably 50c a go at the highest level - and higher diesel prices mean that the shorter motorway route is more attractive.

If the M4 toll was reduced to 2 euro they would quickly make it up by attracting back traffic that currently dodges it.

Something really stupid in having one of the highest tolls on the easiest to avoid toll road. :rolleyes:

KevR

Express lane barriers at the M4 toll are ridiculously slow to lift. Have to slow way down which really defeats the purpose of the "Express" Lane.
[First time on the M4 with a toll tag]

M6 express lane barriers shoot up as soon as my tag beeps. Can pass through at 80/90kmh.


In other news, last night a truck veered off the exit slip lane at the Eastbound MSA and crashed into a huge Applegreen sign which is in between the slip lane and the main carriageway.

-Corkie-

KevR wrote: »

Express lane barriers at the M4 toll are ridiculously slow to lift. Have to slow way down which really defeats the purpose of the "Express" Lane.
[First time on the M4 with a toll tag]

M6 express lane barriers shoot up as soon as my tag beeps. Can pass through at 80/90kmh.


In other news, last night a truck veered off the exit slip lane at the Eastbound MSA and crashed into a huge Applegreen sign which is in between the slip lane and the main carriageway.

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Express lane barriers at the M4 toll are ridiculously slow to lift. Have to slow way down which really defeats the purpose of the "Express" Lane.
[First time on the M4 with a toll tag]

M6 express lane barriers shoot up as soon as my tag beeps. Can pass through at 80/90kmh.


In other news, last night a truck veered off the exit slip lane at the Eastbound MSA and crashed into a huge Applegreen sign which is in between the slip lane and the main carriageway.

KevR the speed limit in both is 50 km/h (anyone i've heard of that's gone faster on the n4 the tags weren't recognised), and it's timed for that

Zubeneschamali

As KevR says, you can sail through the M6 express lane at 80.

Tech3

Yeah the barrier on the express lane of the M4 takes ages to lift up. I was cruising through it at 60km/hr and it didnt lift up til I nearly drove into it. Also the road surface on the eastbound express lane is not very good.