M17/M18 - Gort to Tuam [open to traffic]

lotusm

I stand corrected... but cant see the M17/M18 starting this year

antoobrien

lotusm wrote: »

I stand corrected... but cant see the M17/M18 starting this year

Based on?

lotusm

has the government actually given the go ahead ... there has been alot of political spin in the media about this project , So unless I see a digger breaking new ground its not happening

antoobrien

lotusm wrote: »

has the government actually given the go ahead ... there has been alot of political spin in the media about this project , So unless I see a digger breaking new ground its not happening

I agree with the sentiment, however what we have seen in the past 10 days or so is the clearest sign of intent yet from a government that has stated on a few occasions that they want to get this project going this year (2013).

I don't want to be too optimistic, but don't underestimate the value of actually putting money on the table, something we haven't seen at any point since the land acquisition was completed - including the announcement of the tender winner in 2010.

swoofer

it will start this year.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0227/369895-funding-cleared-for-new-gort-to-tuam-motorway/

and when opened wil be a massive boon to the west, dublin via 2 motoways who would have ever imagined that. cant wait.

gbc

Sponge Bob

The reason why this is important is that the government can annnounce they got a €500m ppp project off at around the time ( October) that we are supposed to stop sucking at the teat of the IMF and become self financing. Financial close and contract signing would be expected around September if the business of digging is to start in 2013 of course.

The fact that ....of the €500m only a fraction is disbursable by us in 2013 , much is already spent, much will be bridging finance by the EIB anyway and much of the balance will be spent on availability payments out to 2043 is irrelevant when the main business is to announce a €500m PPP to sate our old friends 'the markets'

antoobrien

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The fact that ....of the €500m only a fraction is disbursable by us in 2013 , much is already spent, much will be bridging finance by the EIB anyway and much of the balance will be spent on availability payments out to 2043 is irrelevant when the main business is to announce a €500m PPP to sate our old friends 'the markets'

Business as usual so, as that's the way all non-PPP projects are funded, through the use of long term capital payments.

f2

Does the left hand not know what the right is doing/saying......wake up lads WHATS APPENIN!!!!

Cash is king

Any updates on this????

Aquarius34

If this goes ahead, it will only put more strain on the more inadequate parts of the western Corridor, most noticeably the Chareville to Buttevant section of N20. This section is diabolical for a road that connect Ireland's western cities. Everyone knows this already. We need to focus on the N20. If not built a spur to Mitchellstown and up to Limerick that way. It seems to me that it's almost a conspiracy at this point. All major roads will have motorway connections except for the likes of the N24 and the N20....

black47

Aquarius34 wrote: »

If this goes ahead, it will only put more strain on the more inadequate parts of the western Corridor, most noticeably the Chareville to Buttevant section of N20. This section is diabolical for a road that connect Ireland's western cities. Everyone knows this already. We need to focus on the N20. If not built a spur to Mitchellstown and up to Limerick that way. It seems to me that it's almost a conspiracy at this point. All major roads will have motorway connections except for the likes of the N24 and the N20....

The idea of a spur would be interesting as a short term solution. I gave up on the N20 ages ago and travel down or up through Hospital, Ballylanders etc. I find that there is more motorway and less jams. Knocked 15 minutes off my time to Limerick usiong that route from Cork

Sponge Bob

black47 wrote: »

The idea of a spur would be interesting as a short term solution.

The spur ( Limerick - Mitchelstown) idea would also bypass Tipp town. and indeed all of the N24 west of Cahir.

antoobrien

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The spur ( Limerick - Mitchelstown) idea would also bypass Tipp town. and indeed all of the N24 west of Cahir.

Why are we discussing this on the M17/18 thread instead of the M20 thread where it belongs?

muchos04

I Agree Antoo. lets keep this to the M17/M18 project only.

Aquarius34

The N20 is part of the Western corridor which links with the N17/N18. It is one single road despite it numbered differently at different segments. Any road scheme along the route is going to affect the other, which is why I raised the N20 on this thread. The N20 is going to get worse if other parts of the Western Corridor goes ahead while the link between Ireland's second and third city goes amiss.

Cookiemunster

Aquarius34 wrote: »

The N20 is part of the Western corridor which links with the N17/N18. It is one single road despite it numbered differently at different segments. Any road scheme along the route is going to affect the other, which is why I raised the N20 on this thread. The N20 is going to get worse if other parts of the Western Corridor goes ahead while the link between Ireland's second and third city goes amiss.

There is already 80kms of motorway beetween Gort and Croom. While I'd love the M20 to be built I very much doubt that finishing the M18 is going to have that much affect on the current N20 seeing as most traffic on this section will be heading to Galway.

antoobrien

Cookiemunster wrote: »

There is already 80kms of motorway beetween Gort and Croom. While I'd love the M20 to be built I very much doubt that finishing the M18 is going to have that much affect on the current N20 seeing as most traffic on this section will be heading to Galway.

And the rest will be heading to Shannon Airport, which is experiencing a bit of a boom since it got out from under the DAA (5 new routes and a maintenance contract).

Aquarius34

Cookiemunster wrote: »

There is already 80kms of motorway beetween Gort and Croom. While I'd love the M20 to be built I very much doubt that finishing the M18 is going to have that much affect on the current N20 seeing as most traffic on this section will be heading to Galway.

There is quite a lot of long distance traffic going between Cork-Limerick and Galway. A lot of traffic avoids the N20 and go the back roads towards the M8 because the N20 is in a dire state. I'd like both schemes to go ahead ASAP. But my point is if the N18/N17 is getting more attention it will just add to the strain on the current N2O and not improve journey times along the western corridor if the southern half of the western corridor continues to be neglected.

Cookiemunster

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is quite a lot of long distance traffic going between Cork-Limerick and Galway. A lot of traffic avoids the N20 and go the back roads towards the M8 because the N20 is in a dire state. I'd like both schemes to go ahead ASAP. But my point is if the N18/N17 is getting more attention it will just add to the strain on the current N2O and not improve journey times along the western corridor if the southern half of the western corridor continues to be neglected.

The M17/18 isn't just getting more attention, it's ready to start as soon as the contract is signed. The M20 doesn't even have planning permission.
While I think it's criminal that the M20 has been sidelined, I can't see how the M17/18 will put extra pressure on a road that's at the other end of another 80kms of motorway.
The long distance traffic that currently trundles from Galway to Gort along the N18 will simply use the motorway instead.

Aquarius34

Cookiemunster wrote: »

The M17/18 isn't just getting more attention, it's ready to start as soon as the contract is signed. The M20 doesn't even have planning permission.
While I think it's criminal that the M20 has been sidelined, I can't see how the M17/18 will put extra pressure on a road that's at the other end of another 80kms of motorway.
The long distance traffic that currently trundles from Galway to Gort along the N18 will simply use the motorway instead.

It is because you fail to see the obvious perhaps?

The N20 is left as a bottleneck on the route. Improve all other sections of the road and leave on part neglected it means that this section will be put under strain. The N18 is now mostly motorway, with Limerick bypass and now the N18/N17 going ahead soon still leaves the N20 out of the picture.

Aidan1

it means that this section will be put under strain

Only if traffic on the overall route grows. Essentially, you are contending that building a motorway in Co Galway will lead to to an increase in traffic almost 100km away in Limerick/Cork. Not impossible, but I'd love to see some data to support it.

D.L.R.

Aquarius34 wrote: »

The N20 is going to get worse if other parts of the Western Corridor goes ahead while the link between Ireland's second and third city goes amiss.

But Belfast and Cork are already linked

neeb

I though this scheme was canceled along with all other road building in the country, I'll be very happy to see digging on this route!

Frank Black

neeb wrote: »

I though this scheme was canceled along with all other road building in the country, I'll be very happy to see digging on this route!

Might still be a while before you see digging. Govt portion of the funding has been committed but private sector funding is yet to be tied up. Discussions are on-going between NRA and prefered bidders with a recently recived submission currently being reviewed.
There are also rumblings that the BAM consortium may mount a legal challange which could delay things significantly.

antoobrien

Frank Black wrote: »

Might still be a while before you see digging. Govt portion of the funding has been committed but private sector funding is yet to be tied up. Discussions are on-going between NRA and prefered bidders with a recently recived submission currently being reviewed.
There are also rumblings that the BAM consortium may mount a legal challange which could delay things significantly.

BAM need to be told that if they every want to get past the first round of a tender in Ireland again to GFO.

Sponge Bob

I hear that the New Ross PPP was advanced to allow BAM to busy themselves bidding for a new project where they can show they have the money ( they had none for the last 3 years) instead of wasting time and money on a court case that will only benefit the legal profession to the tune of some €ms of yoyos.

BAM wasted a lot of time for a lot of people by winning a contract they could not deliver and that is why they got kicked off Gort -Tuam.

Hopefully they have sorted their own mess out and can show that on the New Ross PPP. Before that deal is done Gort Tuam should be under way. If BAM cannot deliver the finance to do New Ross then how COULD they have handled Gort - Tuam anyway??

f2

Its been reported that BAM are back in discussion about M 17 and Roadbridge have walked away!

tonc76

f2 wrote: »

Its been reported that BAM are back in discussion about M 17 and Roadbridge have walked away!

Reported where?

Cleahaigh

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I hear that the New Ross PPP was advanced to allow BAM to busy themselves bidding for a new project where they can show they have the money ( they had none for the last 3 years) instead of wasting time and money on a court case that will only benefit the legal profession to the tune of some €ms of yoyos.

BAM wasted a lot of time for a lot of people by winning a contract they could not deliver and that is why they got kicked off Gort -Tuam.

Hopefully they have sorted their own mess out and can show that on the New Ross PPP. Before that deal is done Gort Tuam should be under way. If BAM cannot deliver the finance to do New Ross then how COULD they have handled Gort - Tuam anyway??

When did they win the contract? You appear to be confused.

gordongekko

Cleahaigh wrote: »

When did they win the contract? You appear to be confused.

he's banned so can't reply