New section of M6 opened

JHMEG · 23-07-2009 11:33pm #1

Now I think some of this is quite shite.

First off is that 100km/h speed limit signs will be erected on this new Athlone-Ballinasloe stretch due to a fcuk up by the minister, only to be replaced 36 days later by 120km/h speed limit signs. Who is paying for the minister's fcuk up? You and I.

Second thing is afaik there will be a toll between Ballinasloe and Galway, bringing it to 3 the number of tolls between Galway and Dublin Airport.

3rd thing is the original plans were for the M9 Waterford motorway to be completed first, but M6-Galway is racing ahead. Is this because Galway has better FF connections?

Ironically the M9 will be the only Dublin-to-regional-capital motorway that is not tolled.

galwaytt · 23-07-2009 11:57pm

JHMEG wrote: »

3rd thing is the original plans were for the M9 Waterford motorway to be completed first, but M6-Galway is racing ahead. Is this because Galway has better FF connections?

No, but it's about time some money was spent outside the Pale and Leinster tbh. There is more to life than the East Coast.

Same sort of hullah going on now vis-a-vis the Western Rail Corridor. The whingers in the East are moaning. Didn't stop them giving themselves the present of the Dart or Luas, though, did it........??

Ironically the M9 will be the only Dublin-to-regional-capital motorway that is not tolled.

Irony? I can think of other words.........

AugustusMaximus · 24-07-2009 12:34am

JHMEG wrote: »

Ironically the M9 will be the only Dublin-to-regional-capital motorway that is not tolled.

Waterford bypass will be tolled though.

Anan1 · 24-07-2009 8:25am

I wouldn't worry too much about the speed limit signs, apparently the road is already signed as a motorway so it'll just be a matter of replacing the '100's with '120's. I'm also pretty happy about the M6 in general - i'll happily pay a couple of euro for the convenience.

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 8:59am

JHMEG wrote: »

Now I think some of this is quite shite.

First off is that 100km/h speed limit signs will be erected on this new Athlone-Ballinasloe stretch due to a fcuk up by the minister, only to be replaced 36 days later by 120km/h speed limit signs. Who is paying for the minister's fcuk up? You and I.

The other option was to leave a perfectly finished road closed for the month. You should do a little research instead of jumping on the Fine Gael band wagan.:rolleyes:

You should do a little research instead of jumping on the Fine Gael band wagan.
-As Anan1 says its only a matter of changing the lollopop signs(and at that the poles dont need to be changed).
-The main costs of changing a dual carriageway into a motorway are the costs of changing signs(not nec here as signs are already motorway(ie blue) and changing lines(not necessary as no broken yellow) and armco(already motorway standard).

alias no.9 · 24-07-2009 9:11am

JHMEG wrote: »

3rd thing is the original plans were for the M9 Waterford motorway to be completed first, but M6-Galway is racing ahead. Is this because Galway has better FF connections?

Ironically the M9 will be the only Dublin-to-regional-capital motorway that is not tolled.

While the Dublin - Waterford route was in desperate need of a major upgrade, I don't think it was ever warranted to have a motorway the whole length of the M9 route. A motorway link to the M11 may have been a cheaper option and would have helped to distribute the traffic coming into Dublin a bit better, rather than having traffic coming from Cork, Limerick and Waterford all converging on Newlands Cross and the Red Cow Interchange.
The reason that the M9 happened was because Martin Cullen was Minister for Transport for a while and the reason it has fallen behind in the race to become the first completed interurban route may be because Martin Cullen is no longer Minister for Transport.

JHMEG · 24-07-2009 9:27am

galwaytt wrote: »

No, but it's about time some money was spent outside the Pale and Leinster tbh. There is more to life than the East Coast.

Same sort of hullah going on now vis-a-vis the Western Rail Corridor. The whingers in the East are moaning. Didn't stop them giving themselves the present of the Dart or Luas, though, did it........??

Irony? I can think of other words.........

The N9 is the worst national primary in the country. If you drove it I don't think you'd begrudge the people of Waterford and the South East a better road.

JHMEG · 24-07-2009 9:30am

I think I may have answered my own question... the sooner the M6 is opened the sooner it starts making money from tolls. The M9 will never make money.

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 9:37am

JHMEG wrote: »

I think I may have answered my own question... the sooner the M6 is opened the sooner it starts making money from tolls. The M9 will never make money.

And make money it will, as usual us westerners will get crucified with a toll that is unfairly greater than any other direction. Kinegad toll is €2.90 v Cork/Drogheda €1.90 v no toll in most other directions.

It will cost galway people around €9 just to get to the airport each way.

BlackWizard · 24-07-2009 9:53am

Patrickhegart wrote: »

It will cost galway people around €9 just to get to the airport each way.

Absolute disgrace isn't it. And galway people will still pay it!!

We should of built a fecking wall.

Gregor Samsa · 24-07-2009 9:53am

Patrickhegart wrote: »

And make money it will, as usual us westerners will get crucified with a toll that is unfairly greater than any other direction. Kinegad toll is €2.90 v Cork/Drogheda €1.90 v no toll in most other directions.

It will cost galway people around €9 just to get to the airport each way.

It will also cost "easterners" €9 just to get to Galway each way (races, arts festival, etc. etc), so it's not just discrimination against you.

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 11:18am

phutyle wrote: »

It will also cost "easterners" €9 just to get to Galway each way (races, arts festival, etc. etc), so it's not just discrimination against you.

you've listed entertainment events which are once of, try having to drive up and down daily/every week to go to work

And before anyone says we are not forced to use it, try driving the old N6 road which is now empty at 80kph(full of cops) for 140 miles, will drive you insane

Brabus · 24-07-2009 11:20am

JHMEG wrote: »

The N9 is the worst national primary in the country. If you drove it I don't think you'd begrudge the people of Waterford and the South East a better road.

+1
We can't wait for it to be finished down here in the good ol soggy SE!!:)

Gregor Samsa · 24-07-2009 11:38am

Patrickhegart wrote: »

you've listed entertainment events which are once of, try having to drive up and down daily/every week to go to work

And before anyone says we are not forced to use it, try driving the old N6 road which is now empty at 80kph(full of cops) for 140 miles, will drive you insane

I don't deny that 9 euro is a lot to pay for the road. I just don't agree with your western victim attitude. Plenty of people have to travel from the east to Galway for work, business and education too. It's a major national road, lots of people use it.

When the M7 is complete, I'll face similar charges going to Dublin. But so will my family and friends coming to visit me in Clare. So I'm not going to claim that I as a mid-westerner is getting screwed - everyone has to pay.

We're just going to have to get used to the fact that we pay tolls for roads like every other developed country in the world. Either that or elect a governemnt that will raise taxes enough to pay for roads without private investment.

daRobot · 24-07-2009 11:45am

phutyle wrote: »

We're just going to have to get used to the fact that we pay tolls for roads like every other developed country in the world. Either that or elect a governemnt that will raise taxes enough to pay for roads without private investment.

We should get our prison population to build the roads, under guard of the army. That'd be a nice cheap solution :pac:

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 12:21pm

phutyle wrote: »

I don't deny that 9 euro is a lot to pay for the road. I just don't agree with your western victim attitude. Plenty of people have to travel from the east to Galway for work, business and education too. It's a major national road, lots of people use it.

When the M7 is complete, I'll face similar charges going to Dublin. But so will my family and friends coming to visit me in Clare. So I'm not going to claim that I as a mid-westerner is getting screwed - everyone has to pay.

We're just going to have to get used to the fact that we pay tolls for roads like every other developed country in the world. Either that or elect a governemnt that will raise taxes enough to pay for roads without private investment.

Will you please read my post again, you are ignoring my point to argue something completely different:rolleyes:

Its a fact that Dublin is the capital of Ireland and therefore its the most popular destination(whether it is work/matches/airport/concert.....) so if you are travelling from Cork/north to Dublin you will pay €2 versus €6 when travelling from Galway(im ignoring the M50 toll here but it will make no difference).

Torq · 24-07-2009 12:41pm

Anan1 wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much about the speed limit signs, apparently the road is already signed as a motorway so it'll just be a matter of replacing the '100's with '120's. I'm also pretty happy about the M6 in general - i'll happily pay a couple of euro for the convenience.

Wait till you are heading west at 120kph on the motorway, join the athlone bypass (100kph limit) still doing 120kph and you meet the new speed limit signs just after the ballymahon exit. Three lanes and nice little lollypops with 50km on them! :eek: So you are still doing 120kph, maybe 130, almost 3 times the speed limit!! You get caught, summonsed, loose your license and your name appears in the paper for outrageous speeding, everyone on boards calls you a c0ck.

Tipp Man · 24-07-2009 12:47pm

JHMEG wrote: »

The N9 is the worst national primary in the country. If you drove it I don't think you'd begrudge the people of Waterford and the South East a better road.

Indeed it is shockingly bad. Just out of curiousity though, wouldn't it have been a lot cheaper and easier to link up with the M11 at Enniscorthy or Wexford or whereever? Currently is it faster to take the N11 to waterford than the M9??

Tech3 · 24-07-2009 1:02pm

Patrickhegart wrote: »

Will you please read my post again, you are ignoring my point to argue something completely different:rolleyes:

Its a fact that Dublin is the capital of Ireland and therefore its the most popular destination(whether it is work/matches/airport/concert.....) so if you are travelling from Cork/north to Dublin you will pay €2 versus €6 when travelling from Galway(im ignoring the M50 toll here but it will make no difference).

The M8 will have 2 tolls just like the Dublin-Galway route (1 on M4, 1 on M6) so your facts are incorrect. I would advise you to check this first before ranting. There is one at Fermoy and there will be one on the M7/M8 scheme when its completed next year.

I would gladly pay toll so I wouldnt end up in hospital or worse on a crappy single carriageway road. Your also ranting about the west, I can tell you when the N17/N18 scheme is completed there will be no toll from Tuam-Outside Limerick city. So you points about the west severly affected with tolls are invalid.

JHMEG · 24-07-2009 1:12pm

Tipp Man wrote: »

Indeed it is shockingly bad. Just out of curiousity though, wouldn't it have been a lot cheaper and easier to link up with the M11 at Enniscorthy or Wexford or whereever? Currently is it faster to take the N11 to waterford than the M9??

No, as there are only two bypasses in all of Co Wexford (Wexford town and Gorey), and only one of them is on the route.

The M9 is being built not only to serve Waterford but most of counties Carlow and Kilkenny, South Kildare, South Wexford and even bits of Offaly and Tipp. Extending the M11 would probably have been cheaper but wouldn't cover nearly as much.

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 1:18pm

tech2 wrote: »

The M8 will have 2 tolls just like the Dublin-Galway route (1 on M4, 1 on M6) so your facts are incorrect. I would advise you to check this first before ranting. There is one at Fermoy and there will be one on the M7/M8 scheme when its completed next year.

yes but my point is that fermoy is €1.90 versus Kinegad €2.90. Im sure it will be same when the other t:rolleyes:olls open

Patrickhegart · 24-07-2009 1:26pm

tech2 wrote: »

So you points about the west severly affected with tolls are invalid.

Why not compare like with like;)

eg: the west//south east/north/south to Dublin(captail of Ireland)

not jamica / limerick to galway or what ever you were comparing.

Plus flip all of limerick to galway will be motorway it will mostly be dual carriageway oh yea and N17 wont be done for at least 10/20 years

Tech3 · 24-07-2009 1:40pm

Patrickhegart wrote: »

Why not compare like with like;)

eg: the west//south east/north/south to Dublin(captail of Ireland)

not jamica / limerick to galway or what ever you were comparing.

First you spelled capital incorrect. Well these schemes are being built as interurbans not what direction they go. These interurbans connect Dublin to the the major cities in Rep Ireland not whether if they are in the east, south of north. The toll on the M7/M8 scheme hasnt been announced yet.

Plus flip all of limerick to galway will be motorway it will mostly be dual carriageway oh yea and N17 wont be done for at least 10/20 years

Could you define "flip all"? 20km will be redesingated motorway(Shannon-Ennis) on the 28th of August. Gort-Crusheen is under construction and will open as motorway another 22km next year. The N17/N18 PPP is 50km and is due to start construction next year.

M18/M17 amount of motorway

2009: 20km
2010: 42km
2013: 90km

If you like to discuss this please back it up with facts next time before you go on another silly rant.

Anan1 · 24-07-2009 2:30pm

Torq wrote: »

Wait till you are heading west at 120kph on the motorway, join the athlone bypass (100kph limit) still doing 120kph and you meet the new speed limit signs just after the ballymahon exit. Three lanes and nice little lollypops with 50km on them! :eek: So you are still doing 120kph, maybe 130, almost 3 times the speed limit!! You get caught, summonsed, loose your license and your name appears in the paper for outrageous speeding, everyone on boards calls you a c0ck.

50?? I thought the limit on the new section was 100?

Walshie · 25-07-2009 3:40am

Has anyone an idea on the rest of the M6 schedule to Galway? Is it due to be ready for the Races next year?

tech2 wrote: »

First you spelled capital incorrect. Well these schemes are being built as interurbans not what direction they go. These interurbans connect Dublin to the the major cities in Rep Ireland not whether if they are in the east, south of north. The toll on the M7/M8 scheme hasnt been announced yet.

Could you define "flip all"? 20km will be redesingated motorway(Shannon-Ennis) on the 28th of August. Gort-Crusheen is under construction and will open as motorway another 22km next year. The N17/N18 PPP is 50km and is due to start construction next year.

M18/M17 amount of motorway

2009: 20km
2010: 42km
2013: 90km

If you like to discuss this please back it up with facts next time before you go on another silly rant.

JHMEG · 25-07-2009 10:35am

http://www.nra.ie/mapping/

More

http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/RoadsTransportation/RoadProjects/n6_bsloe/downloads/N6_brochure.pdf

Proposed Toll is just west of Aughrim.

Torq · 26-07-2009 2:28pm

Anan1 wrote: »

50?? I thought the limit on the new section was 100?

It's not the new section, it's on the old bypass, the signs went up about a month ago between the ballymahon road and coosan exits, west bound only though. Could be to do with the roadworks pre the new section of motorway opening. Must check if the limit is still there next time I'm down.

Torq

JHMEG · 26-07-2009 2:41pm

Just back from Galway. Didn't see any speed limit signs at all on the new Athlone-Ballinasloe section, but there is some confusion about the Athlone bypass and the speed limit on it. The signs are all still green meaning non-motorway but I didn't notice any 100km/h signs there either.

Sconsey · 26-07-2009 3:45pm

tech2 wrote: »

First you spelled capital incorrect. <snip>

If you like to discuss this please back it up with facts next time before you go on another silly rant.

Hmmm...you forgot to use a conditional statement in your sentence making it difficult to understand your point. You should have said 'If you would like to ..'

Now how helpful was my post? about as helpuful as pointing out an obvious typo?

Seth Brundle · 26-07-2009 4:54pm

:rolleyes: back on topic please!

Black_Knight · 26-07-2009 5:25pm

Its gonna be 100km/hr for a few weeks. Theres some engineering reason behind it all, but it has to be done (ive a friend whos an engineer on the M6 Athlone-ballinasloe road so thats all im going by). It was the same for the moate motorway wasnt it? A few weeks of 100km/hr and then bumped up to 120km/hr.

As for the toll, I though this was going to be closer to Athenry then ballinasloe.

Its a bit rediculous dropping the old road from 100km/hr down to 80km/hr, if the road is designed for 100km/hr then wheres the justifiation? And if it wasnt designed for 100km/hr, why was it 100km/hr in the first place!

JHMEG · 26-07-2009 5:30pm

Black_Knight wrote: »

Its a bit rediculous dropping the old road from 100km/hr down to 80km/hr, if the road is designed for 100km/hr then wheres the justifiation? And if it wasnt designed for 100km/hr, why was it 100km/hr in the first place!

There was a lad on the radio a while back from one of the councils explaining that the NRA instructed them to lower the limit to encourage motorists to stay on the motorway and pay the toll.

L1011 · 26-07-2009 5:33pm

I'm not sure how the NRA can 'instruct' the council to lower the limit on a regional road to 80 seeing as that IS the limit for a regional road by default.

Black_Knight · 26-07-2009 5:33pm

lol! Smart guys!

Does anyone know where the road is going to join up in Galway? The ring road in galway is a bit of a car park at times.

Delta Kilo · 26-07-2009 5:33pm

Black_Knight wrote: »

Its a bit rediculous dropping the old road from 100km/hr down to 80km/hr, if the road is designed for 100km/hr then wheres the justifiation? And if it wasnt designed for 100km/hr, why was it 100km/hr in the first place!

I think a lot of the reason is so that the road can be re-designated to a regional road and therefore handed over to the local authority. Then, the NRA will not have to maintain or carry out any work on it.

Encouraging people to use the motorway is part of it too I reckon.

Delta Kilo · 26-07-2009 5:35pm

MYOB wrote: »

I'm not sure how the NRA can 'instruct' the council to lower the limit on a regional road to 80 seeing as that IS the limit for a regional road by default.

There not regional roads yet. The n6 is becoming the R446. The speed limit is currently 100, but when it is re-designated to the R446 it will be 80.

L1011 · 26-07-2009 5:45pm

Delta Kilo wrote: »

There not regional roads yet. The n6 is becoming the R446. The speed limit is currently 100, but when it is re-designated to the R446 it will be 80.

The "N6" alongside all sections of motorway IS the R446, even if the signs haven't been changed. I'd expect the 80 speed limits between Athlone and Ballinasloe to appear any day now, they're already there from Athlone to Kinnegad.

L1011 · 26-07-2009 5:46pm

Black_Knight wrote: »

lol! Smart guys!

Does anyone know where the road is going to join up in Galway? The ring road in galway is a bit of a car park at times.

Halfway along the northern of the two long bits of the ring road. Google Maps' sat images are so new they show the road under construction:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=galway&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.218001,39.506836&ie=UTF8&ll=53.285383,-8.972397&spn=0.012058,0.038581&t=h&z=15

The eventual plan is for an outer bypass which will fork off this further out.

Delta Kilo · 26-07-2009 5:51pm

MYOB wrote: »

The "N6" alongside all sections of motorway IS the R446, even if the signs haven't been changed. I'd expect the 80 speed limits between Athlone and Ballinasloe to appear any day now, they're already there from Athlone to Kinnegad.

I know, but this section is just after opening, they still have that grey paint over the R446 on all the new signs. The old N6, has to be handed over to the local authority, in this case Roscommon coco and then it will be known as the R446, and as previously mentioned the regional roads have a default 80kn/hr speed limit. Until that is done, which should be in the very near future, it belongs to the NRA, is still the N6, is still 100km/hr.

JHMEG · 26-07-2009 8:11pm

MYOB wrote: »

I'm not sure how the NRA can 'instruct' the council to lower the limit on a regional road to 80 seeing as that IS the limit for a regional road by default.

It's up to the local authority to increase the speed limit (eg from 80 to 100) on an R road if they feel the road is up to it. (E.g. R132.) The council were instructed not to.

New section of M6 opened

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