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

VR6

LFC Murphy wrote: »

Honestly I'm tired of checking this bloody thread I need it over nowwwww

I agree 100%. Problem is our discussions here are all based on hearsay and what Paddy whatsisname is alleged to have said while leaning on his shovel in Bally something or other !

I would not hold my breath if I were you.

fabsoul

LFC Murphy wrote: »

Honestly I'm tired of checking this bloody thread I need it over nowwwww

+1

f2

Well think of the entertainment value' what else would ye be at !!!!!

serfboard

f2 wrote: »

Well think of the entertainment value' what else would ye be at !!!!!

Well I've got one for ye while we're waiting ...

I was looking at the route and I see that a junction is proposed for Kilternan school (onto the existing N18).

Would they not have been better off placing the junction about a mile further south on the R347 at Owenbristy?

That way you could sign that junction The Burren, Kinvara, Ardrahan. The other benefit would be that the N67 through Ballindereen could then be detrunked (and maybe renumber the R347 as the N67 up to the junction).

It might take a bit of re-alignment of the R347 but I think it would be a better solution.

Any thoughts?

spacetweek

serfboard wrote: »

Well I've got one for ye while we're waiting ...

I was looking at the route and I see that a junction is proposed for Kilternan school (onto the existing N18).

Would they not have been better off placing the junction about a mile further south on the R347 at Owenbristy?

That way you could sign that junction The Burren, Kinvara, Ardrahan. The other benefit would be that the N67 through Ballindereen could then be detrunked (and maybe renumber the R347 as the N67 up to the junction).

It might take a bit of re-alignment of the R347 but I think it would be a better solution.

Any thoughts?

You can still easily reach Ardrahan from the proposed junction. Using the R347 in the way you describe to get to the new M18 would still be possible anyway. Also the existing N67 might be a much better road than R347.
All in all though, it wouldn't have hurt. It's possible they planned at one time for potentially splitting the scheme into smaller parts so then new sections should connect with the old N18 not with side roads.

LFC Murphy

f2 wrote: »

I was speaking to member of the council myself, that is what he told me!!!!

Any update for your contact in the Council?

Thanks

f2

not a word, what he said was expecting contracts last Tues, Wed, did not happen, some minor works to start within one month but it would be Oct. before any major work would commence. Waiting like the rest of you.

dloob

I saw this weeks Tuam Hearld in the shop this evening, the main story was how the motorway contract to be signed thursday would create 1000 jobs.
I guess that didn't work out as expected then.

f2

hi5 wrote: »

Work won't start until the EIB sign it off, its been approved but not signed yet.

Here's whats been signed in Ireland so far...
http://www.eib.org/projects/loans/regions/european-union/ie.htm

Here's whats been approved...
http://www.eib.org/projects/pipeline/index.htm?start=&end=&status=&region=&country=ireland&sector=

With the economic situation the way it is in Ireland, no contractor is going to start work until all the money is in the bag.

When is this EIB money to be signed off on?

hi5

f2 wrote: »

When is this EIB money to be signed off on?

We don't know that yet,

The last statement by the minister for transport was 26 Nov 2013 and went....

The European Investment Bank is currently helping to fund the works at Newlands Cross and at the N11 at Rathnew. We are also confident, although I do not want to jump the gun, that it will help to fund the M17-M18. I hope that will go to a financial close and start construction in quarter 1 of next year, but it is a PPP, which involves construction companies, banks and pension funds. These must all go to their boards and credit committees and the rest and clear the project, which can take some time. I believe it will happen in quarter 1 of next year, but if it does not happen then, that will not be due to a lack of effort on my part or that of the NRA.

antoobrien

f2 wrote: »

When is this EIB money to be signed off on?

It's been approved for nearly 4 years, would love to know what the hold up is from the EIB, especially considering Europe have been asking why the government is not asking for what's available for the west....

Tech3 wrote: »

Just after spotting this today, EIB have aproved part finance of the M17/M18 PPP

N17-N18 Gort to Tuam PPP Motorway

Date of entry
23/02/2010

Proposed EIB finance
Up to EUR EUR 170 million.

Total cost
EUR 530 million

Status
Approved - 11/05/2010.

link

VR6

antoobrien wrote: »

It's been approved for nearly 4 years, would love to know what the hold up is from the EIB, especially considering Europe have been asking why the government is not asking for what's available for the west....

It's clearly going to happen, but we have to accept the likelihood that contract signing will be delayed till late 2014 and that construction works will not begin till next year, 2015.

LFC Murphy

Has there been any reasons why the delay happened?

ratracer

The word around South Galway at the moment is that the road has been deferred, as there is now a fear of the underground cave structure in the Coole park area. It may even have to have a new route selected. I really hope this is not correct, and I don't have a source for it. How many ground surveys have already been done and will anyone be held accountable if this is the case.

It has gone very very quiet officially in the last few weeks.

L1011

Sounds like pub gossip; it'd have required seriously remiss route selection and ground investigation works to have missed something like that.

ratracer

MYOB wrote: »

Sounds like pub gossip; it'd have required seriously remiss route selection and ground investigation works to have missed something like that.

Yeah, I really, really hope that is all it is, but nothing would surprise me with this project.

f2

Yeah, sounds like pub talk, considering some of the ground they are dealing with near Tuam caves wouldnt cause problems

Truckermal

MYOB wrote: »

Sounds like pub gossip; it'd have required seriously remiss route selection and ground investigation works to have missed something like that.

While I totally agree with you the same story done the rounds with the locals around the bog of doom at Annacotty when the M7 was constructed and look at the delay in that. The whole project is sounding too good to be true with all these deferrals again hopefully I am sh1t wrong.

dloob

Well according to the Connacht Tribune youtube preview
The contract is to be signed monday with work to begin immediately.
Hopefully they prove more accurate than the Tuam Hearld was.

antoobrien

MYOB wrote: »

Sounds like pub gossip; it'd have required seriously remiss route selection and ground investigation works to have missed something like that.

Considering it's dealt with in the EIS this sounds like the hopeful gossip of some of the "friends" of road projects.

antoobrien

dloob wrote: »

Well according to the Connacht Tribune youtube preview.

Here's the article

At last, the signing of the contracts for the €550 million Gort to Tuam motorway will take place on Monday – with the creation of a possible 2,000 jobs in the process.

A source in the National Roads Authority confirmed that the signing will take place next week after months of delays.

In recent months there have been a number of ‘false starts’ with regard to the announcement of the signing of the contracts for the motorway.

However, the National Roads Authority has now revealed that the signing of the contracts will take place next week.

f2

Is it Monday or someday next week, remember next week never comes because when it does its called this week !!!! Seriously hopefully this time

jenningso

Sod turning, Taoiseach, Local Elections............... All a matter of timing!

ratracer

So, hopefully the pub sh1te talk was just that...
http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/2628-jobs-bonanza-as-motorway-gets-green-light-at-long-last

Or is this another false dawn for this long awaited project??

spacetweek

VR6 wrote: »

It's clearly going to happen, but we have to accept the likelihood that contract signing will be delayed till late 2014 and that construction works will not begin till next year, 2015.

Where on earth did you get this from?

VR6

spacetweek wrote: »

Where on earth did you get this from?

Precedent - where have you been for the last seven years ?!!

annfield1978

Design not started yet so wont be full steam ahead quite yet

marmurr1916

IF the contract is signed on Monday, it means the road has to be built within the contracted period or penalties apply. That's good enough for me.

f2

Has it been reported anywhere else apart from Connacht Tribune? Declan Tierney, paper , ink ........

glineli

It was too good to be true.......................