Athlone bypass! should it be a motorway?

G_R

mysterious wrote: »

Well since its the bridging point on the Shannon and is border between many counties. Since traffic is as high as 30,000

I'm willing for all of you to prove me wrong;)

ok im sorry but do u really expect me/us to believe that one in thirty of these 30,000 vehicles are tractors or agri vehicles incapable of doin 50km/h? Do you not realise how absurd that sounds.

And no one is goin to go and prove you wrong because anyone with a remote bit of intelligence can see that there is no chance of 1 in 30 vehichles on the Ath Bypass being a bloody tractor. I mean come on seriously

murphaph

It'd be easy for anyone in the area to prove him completely wrong. The total daily vehicle count average is known so you only need to take a sample. Count vehicles until you see a tractor incapable of 50km/h or until at least say, 300 (I'd wager you could easily count zero or maybe 1 tractor in 300 vehicles) vehicles have passed and then there's your minimum figure. Everyone in their right mind and in full posession of their marbles knows that nowhere near in in thirty vehicles crossing the bridge are tractors incapable of at least 50km/h. You'd have to be a nutter to think otherwise.

SeanW

mysterious wrote: »

I'm willing for all of you to prove me wrong;)

You made the claim, it's your responsibility to either provide evidence ore retract it ... at least 1000 tractor movements per day, all of them incapable of doing 50kph.

I await your evidence.

DigiJem

Should be a motorway, a slow transition to 100kph firstly, then up to 120. Good signs should resolve any dangers to walkers, joggers and tractors; although as a regular user I don't see too many tractors

G_R

DigiJem wrote: »

although as a regular user I don't see too many tractors

thank-you. Mysterious your argument is being shredded here. any response?

BluntGuy

dannym08 wrote: »

thank-you. Mysterious your argument is being shredded here. any response?

"You just want your blue road :rolleyes:"

G_R

BluntGuy wrote: »

"You just want your blue road :rolleyes:"

yip thats it haha:pac:

2 stroke

Personally I cant believe 1000 tractors a day, but I can believe in an excess of 500 tractors on certain days.
Just because a tractor can reach 50kmph does not mean it will be driven flat out. Cars do not need to be driven flat out either. 100 kph is more than fast enough for this stretch of road.

G_R

2 stroke wrote: »

Just because a tractor can reach 35kmph does not mean it will be driven flat out.

well first off a tractor needs to be able ta do 50km/h to be allowed on a motorway and there is no harm driving it at full speed for the bit where its on the bypass

2 stroke wrote: »

Cars do not need to be driven flat out either. 100 kph is more than fast enough for this stretch of road.

and as you can see from the poll above, the majority are in favour of m-way restrictions but a 100km/h speed limit

The Word Is Bor

A blue road full of red diesel. I likes it.

2 stroke

dannym08 wrote: »

well first off a tractor needs to be able ta do 50km/h to be allowed on a motorway and there is no harm driving it at full speed for the bit where its on the bypass

A tractor driven flat out is about as stable and safe as a car driven flat out. Add such items as a front end loader, loaded trailer then driving at that speed is reckless.

dannym08 wrote: »

and as you can see from the poll above, the majority are in favour of m-way restrictions but a 100km/h speed limit

The majority of respondants on a comuting thread. Have you tried a survey of the population of westmeath including those that arent computer literate?

KevR

I just don't understand why there would be a lot of tractors on the Athlone Bypass. Surely there can't be that many farmers with land on both sides of the Shannon?! And if you can afford land on both sides of the Shannon, you can afford 2 tractors (1 for each side) and a car for going back and forth across

Anyway, I think it should be designated as a motorway. It's probably the busiest section of M6 at the moment, it has enough access points already and shouldn't have anymore needless ones as it could lead to a compromise in safety (also the possibility of congestion issues).

I personally think it would be fine with a 120kmh speed limit but wouldn't complain if it stayed at 100kmh (although with 120kmh motorway either side of it I think a lot of people would find it quite difficult to stay at 100kmh on the Bypass).

2 stroke

A farmer does not need to own land both sides of the shannon to need to cross it with a tractor. Reasons to cross could be to buy/sell livestock and agricultural produce and supplies, also purchase, sale and maintenance/repair of machinery. Also, there are agricultural contractors that work both sides of river.

SeanW

Doesn't necessarily need a tractor for that - I know a farmer who has a 4WD vehicle and uses it for some farm work.

2 stroke

I'm sure most farmers with 4WD vehicles use them for their lighter duties, even those on the shannon. Though, bit of a drawback that 3500kg DGVW.

SeanW

I'm guessing mysterious doesn't have a lick of evidence to support his "at least 1000 motorway incapable tractors per day?"

Amtmann

Drove this today. Here it is:

The High Quality viewing option should become available shortly.

Amtmann

By the way, I really dislike Athlone. Sorry lads. You have the worst signage I've ever seen in an Irish town, and that's saying something. No N route signage worth talking about, what is there is obsolete, and your 'Town Centre' signs are God-awful.

Good video, Another minute and you'd have passed near my house
At 1:23 you can clearly see the join between the new M6 and the existing bypass.
The signage is due to be replaced as part of the Athlone - Ballinasloe N6 project, either green or blue.

At 6:16 you can just about see where the "chiccane" will be installed, when the main line is cut in a few days time.
All westbound traffic will then leave at this junction and go up and over a roundabout before rejoining the old N6(R???) at the new roundabout (7:20). You can easily add in another five minutes in here!
Eastbound traffic will do the reversa and use the chiccane to rejoin the bypass.

Good to see that they were working on that expansion gap on the Shannon bridge, hopefully be completed by Monday!
I see you found the dip at 3:54, that's quite a nasty pothole forming! hopefully be fixed soon.

Amtmann

dolanbaker, I actually drove on for a bit beyond that before doubling back and getting lost looking for the N62 to Thurles! I could have passed your house.


PS, on the subject of pedestrians - here is a video of some pedestrians "lost" on the Athlone Bypass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfrG8IwS1JM

G_R

Furet wrote: »

Drove this today. Here it is:

The High Quality viewing option should become available shortly.

god just look at all the tractors!!!!!:D

dannym08

dannym08 wrote: »

god just look at all the tractors!!!!!:D

There's a little red one at 7:20

2 stroke

Deleted User wrote: »

There's a little red one at 7:20

obviously a council tractor

murphaph

That tractor is pretty obviously engaged in works on the highway and as such would be legally entitled to use the motorway anyway

spacetweek

Love watching your videos Furet; your musical taste is great

Few observations:
What's with all the cones? I know the Ballinasloe BP tie-in is going on but the coned off section started a good 2km before the end of the Athlone BP. Is it because they're resurfacing?
A lot of silly unnecessary signs like "Dual Carriageway" and "Speed Limits in km/h". Now's a good time to tidy these up.
Many junctions have LILOs as the access points. Not out of spec, but suboptimal.

I see Mysterious has gone very quiet. Maybe he's just being mysterious again

SeanW

Perchance he is looking for all those 30 year old Massey Fergusons ...

Edit: nice video Furet

BluntGuy

I haven't watched the video, but I presume it showcases that the Athlone Bypass is NOT underspec for motorway, as mysterious so often points out.

I can only remember one LILO on it, and AFAIK it had a good acceleration lane.

KevR

Thanks for the video Furet!!

Deleted User wrote: »

At 6:16 you can just about see where the "chiccane" will be installed, when the main line is cut in a few days time.
All westbound traffic will then leave at this junction and go up and over a roundabout before rejoining the old N6(R???) at the new roundabout (7:20). You can easily add in another five minutes in here!
Eastbound traffic will do the reversa and use the chiccane to rejoin the bypass.

Starting my work placement in Athlone (not really the town itself, just off the Eastern end of the bypass) in the morning. I hope the diversion doesn't add too much onto my daily journey. 5 minutes I could definitely live with!

Deleted User wrote: »

Good to see that they were working on that expansion gap on the Shannon bridge, hopefully be completed by Monday!

I hope so!

flazio

I would be against the upgrading for the simple reason that the Athlone town bridge isn't really suited for any slow heavy goods vehicles to be going across it on a regular basis.

mysterious

spacetweek wrote: »

Love watching your videos Furet; your musical taste is great

Few observations:
What's with all the cones? I know the Ballinasloe BP tie-in is going on but the coned off section started a good 2km before the end of the Athlone BP. Is it because they're resurfacing?
A lot of silly unnecessary signs like "Dual Carriageway" and "Speed Limits in km/h". Now's a good time to tidy these up.
Many junctions have LILOs as the access points. Not out of spec, but suboptimal.

I see Mysterious has gone very quiet. Maybe he's just being mysterious again

Spacetweek. Who would ever think I would be quiet;)

Actually they are not up to motorway spec. The amount of lane merging is far more than that of a regular motorway. Most motorways have at least 2km at least between interchanges and generally are a good few kms between interchanges/

There is a weaving issue here.
There are a few tight curves also, one very noticealbe one is heading towards the bridge. These are not motorway standards I'm afraid. If they were, it would of been reclassified as one years ago.

It is underspec, the NRA stated this last year. They left the Athlone bypass out of the reclassification for that reason. I have no problem banning off road developments and cyclists.

I think its to excessive to make this bypass a motorway though. This bypass is for Athlone just as much as it for any other traffic. I dont think tractors should be banned off it. For the simple reason, the Shannon bridge.

The town bridge can't cope as it is. The town needs another bridge. And to make it's second bridge a motorway is just plain absurd. Given the fact there is no need real need to make it a mororway with the speed restrictions, curves and the amount of closely connected interchanges. The interchanges.

I do believe cyclists, pedstiransa and off road developments can be banned. That can't to much of a problem. The Athlone bypass is high gradient there won't be any developments built off it. The existing interchanges there are provided for all movements. People are using the development balony as another excuse in this argument.

I have travelled the bypass there is no way they would even get permission to build any development off this bypass.

I would like someone to name me example of a developer that has applied for one. I want you to name me ones that got their permission. I want you to name where they want access to the Athlone bypass also.

And I'm going to cut all of you Blue bypass wannabees short, that you can't provide any facts for that argument. Ive asked twice, I/ve got no reply since. Ironic eh.