Friday, Galway, Race week! Suggestions for alt routes?

Black_Knight

Ive to head down to Galway this Friday, the last day of race week. I should be arriving in Galway at about 1pm (hopefully earlier) and looking to get the hell outta there by about 4. Is it a lost cause?

1pm might not be the worst to arrive (please correct me if im wrong), but leaving Galway after 1pm on any Friday is poor enough, 4pm is awful, and 4pm on the last day of race week. I dont want to think if it.

What sort of alternate routes into the city could I take? Ill be coming from Athlone and ive vivid memorys of me driving out of Galway at about 3pm last year and tailback went to Craughwell during raceweek.

Mods feel free to move this to the Galway forum if its a better place for it.

KevR

The races don't actually end until Sunday.

Are you going into the City Centre at 1pm? Will you or would you normally use the Dual Carriageway that passes the Race Course?

I'm sorry to say but 1pm on a Friday can be quite bad going into the City. Usually quite busy with some delays at that time. Then it switches to being crazy outbound later on in the afternoon/early evening.

First race is at 5:10pm, last race is 8:40pm tomorrow. If you avoid using any of the roads in the vicinity of the Race Course it might not be too bad leaving at 4pm. The Gardai will be out at most of the major junctions directing traffic anyway. If you could leave it until 5:30 for leaving then traffic might be a lot lighter.

I work in Athlone and live in Galway City (over on the Westside) and I would normally pass by the Race Course for my commute. This week I am using the Dublin Road (R338) & Sean Mulvoy Road (R338) instead of the N6 ring road which passes the Race Course. I then rejoin the N6/ring road at Terryland and head over the Quincentennial Bridge. I haven't had any problems using this alternative route (Westbound in the evenings) but it might be a bit worse at the times you're travelling at.

If you can give me a more specific area in Galway which you're travelling to I might be able to make a better suggestion for an alternative route.

Chris_533976

It'll be manky. I was doing Galway - Cork today and the jam up coming through Gort from the south was 1.6km long, at that was at 11am.

Sponge Bob

Do NOT leave Galway until the second race has just started ( c 5.30 I think) and you will have a clear run out for miles .


Try to get in before 1 too , maybe 12 .

Black_Knight

Cheers lads.

I usually use the N6, but I can always do a reshuffle on the sat nav.
Ill be going to the city center, looking at a few places to rent, but I know the city well so I might use the Dublin Road (R338) & Sean Mulvoy Road (R338) instead of the N6 as you say.

So the safest options are get there early before noon, and leave at 5.30ish?

I might try leaving Athlone between 10-11.

flazio

You might have a quiter time of it if you approach from the Monivea direction, from Athlone take the Tuam road until Ballyforan, take the left straight after the bridge and continue to end of road, turn right and head for Caltra, drive through Caltra to Castleblakney, in Castleblakeney when the road takes a sharp right there is a road going left, take this road and stay to the end, turn right for Menlough, drive through Menlough to Monivea, In Monivea take the right turn into the village, keep to this road and drive through the cross roads this will bring you to the very well traffic light managed Carnmore Cross, you can turn left here for the Jurys Inn RAB, straight on for Galway but it does bring you close to the racecourse (but against flow of traffic if thats anything.) or turn right for Claregalway.

Carawaystick

You can get there by turning off for Athenry after Craughwell or in Loughrea.

When you arrive in Athenry, you cross one railway line turn right an cross another and out that road to eventually arrive at the monivea road halfway between Monavea and the N18.

Left is Carnmore cross,
Left and first right gets you to the N63 just before the N17 junction at Claregalway.

'twill save you the crap roads for a while all the way from Athlone.

Alternatively take the road from Bsloe to Athenry to get the benefit of the new (notQuiteA)Motorway(yet)

Black_Knight

Im thinking something like this might be an idea. Ive driven this road before, except Id usually of gone to carnmore cross and back onto the N6. No chance of that this time

Sponge Bob

Dude, galway is fine WHILE the races are on , honest.

KevR

If you can leave by 11am then I would definitely take the N6 and turn off at the Galway Clinic Roundabout (AKA - Martin Roundabout) onto the R338 (Dublin Road) and head on into the City Centre from there. (At the Moneenageisha junction you will go left on to the R339 (College Rd) and will veer off left for Lough Atalia Rd shortly after at the next set of lights).
Link

It shouldn't be too bad on the Ring Road either at 12/12:30pm if you want to stay on that and enter the City Centre from another direction (the one you usually use).

Traffic won't be free flowing at any time today but it should be bearable at least if you're arriving in Galway at 12/12:30.

Black_Knight wrote: »

Im thinking something like this might be an idea. Ive driven this road before, except Id usually of gone to carnmore cross and back onto the N6. No chance of that this time

Was heading outbound on the N17 last Friday at about 1pm and there was a several kilometre tailback inbound for the Tuam Road roundabout..

Carawaystick wrote: »

You can get there by turning off for Athenry after Craughwell or in Loughrea.

The only thing I will say about that is the Craughwell-Athenry road is in terrible condition with some massive potholes, caused by construction trucks for the Galway-Ballinasloe motorway.

KevR

If you haven't left yet, AA Roadwatch are reporting that the Dublin Road approaching the Moneenageisha junction is busy. It might be best to use the ring road.

Stick on GalwayBayFm when you get near Galway, they should have traffic reports every so often. 95.8/96.8fm is the frequency I think.