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

serfboard

spacetweek wrote: »

Tuam is a town of 3,000 people. The busiest movement in the 6/17/18 junction will probably be M6 Galway->M18 and vice versa. This would only require one freeflow slip to be built, should we ever need it.

The first counter on the N17 (north of Claregalway) has a 2014 AADT of 21K - and this does not count all the cars that are rat-running around Claregalway ...

The first counter on the N18 (between Clarinbridge and Kilcolgan) has a 2014 AADT of 18K.

Feed Up

To eliminate the need for a three stack junction, roundabouts, traffic lights just simply build a cloverleaf junction. Then build two separate bridges with junctions, one from each motorway to access the MSA in one of the four corners. It would work with one bridge/junction but would be cumbersome and circuitous.

I would argue that this would not be as expensive as building the three stack junction.

busyatwork

Is the design finalised I thought the companies could change junctions and other parts when the scheme is a ,PPP design and build

spacetweek

Feed Up wrote: »

To eliminate the need for a three stack junction, roundabouts, traffic lights just simply build a cloverleaf junction. Then build two separate bridges with junctions, one from each motorway to access the MSA in one of the four corners. It would work with one bridge/junction but would be cumbersome and circuitous.

I would argue that this would not be as expensive as building the three stack junction.

Sound like a lot of bridges. A cloverleaf *and* two junctions?

Of course you could always just have an MSA somewhere in the middle of the M18, like at Ennis, and other on the M6 such as at Loughrea, and another on the M17 south of Tuam but there probably wouldn't be enough business for all that.

Feed Up

spacetweek wrote: »

Sound like a lot of bridges. A cloverleaf *and* two junctions?

Of course you could always just have an MSA somewhere in the middle of the M18, like at Ennis, and other on the M6 such as at Loughrea, and another on the M17 south of Tuam but there probably wouldn't be enough business for all that.

Not really:
The cloverleaf keeps the traffic moving.
Two junctions - one on each motorway dedicated to the MSA. One dedicated junction would also do it, but would necessitate exiting one motorway to get onto the other to get to the dedicated junction. A bit circuitous.

Of course if people want to go back to the state of the art planning that went into the M50 and the northern end of the JL Tunnel, to mention just two outstanding examples of road design, so be it.

Roll on motorway on-ramps with stop signs, the M1S joined to M50S with three sets of traffic lights, the old Red Cow junction and the old Liffey Valley junctions choked with traffic so let's build the M50/N2, the M50/N81, etc. junctions to the same design, three days after the M50/N7 junction opened the lads were back digging up the roads to put in traffic lights after being told by the consulting engineers (the wife's cousin worked on it) that the junction, as designed, would not be able to handle the traffic. There's a book in this I'm sure.

Somehow, I don't think three MSAs, or even two, would be viable.

veryangryman

I think the junction needs to be freeflow for 1 main reason. Claregalway traffic may be discouraged to do the longer route if it means possibly having to stop or slow during journey. As other poster mentions it seems we have learned little. Shades of Enfield bypass.

Zubeneschamali

veryangryman wrote: »

Claregalway traffic may be discouraged to do the longer route if it means possibly having to stop or slow during journey.

No-one from Claregalway is going to drive to the new junction: it's as far from Galway as Claregalway is, and when you add the Tuam traffic and the Gort traffic to the motorway, it's going to be stop-start queues every rush hour all the way from the new junction to Briarhill anyhow.

It's all going to be a mess at least until they build the bypass.

spacetweek

The decision was made to create an M17 that was mainly about north-south traffic flows instead of bypassing CG. As such, a separate CG bypass is probably needed as Galway-CG traffic will indeed continue to use the old road.

busyatwork

spacetweek wrote: »

The decision was made to create an M17 that was mainly about north-south traffic flows instead of bypassing CG. As such, a separate CG bypass is probably needed as Galway-CG traffic will indeed continue to use the old road.

Didnt they always say a bypass of Claire galway was needed before the m17m18 moterway

veryangryman

While I do agree with your responses, there have been a lot of mentioning that this will somehow alleviate CG congestion. I guess that if Tuam and beyond commuters avoid CG, it will (a little). Being able to stick the boot down is a bit incentive over shorter distance but more time. A good example is the Motorway route that most sane Galweigans use to get to Belfast.

Chris_5339762

Claregalway Inner Relief Road is what its called... buried somewhere back within the last 155 pages. Don't expect any movement on it until this is open.

busyatwork

any signs of work or any fencing or anything to beginne to show this road is at construction stage

D Trent

At the location where the 3 tier Junction/motorway crossover at Rathmorissey there are a few electricity pylons that are quite high.
Does anyone know how they are gonna work with them will the be moved ??

red bull

Prelimary work going ahead in Tuam, paths being laid as far as junction of M17 & Tuam bypass

Works have started where this will cross the R339.

I'll try grab some pics tomorrow and provide more details on the exact location. Didn't have time to stop today

LFC Murphy

red bull wrote:

Prelimary work going ahead in Tuam, paths being laid as far as junction of M17 & Tuam bypass

was wondering about this. are you sure?

serfboard

red bull wrote: »

Prelimary work going ahead in Tuam, paths being laid as far as junction of M17 & Tuam bypass

LFC Murphy wrote: »

was wondering about this. are you sure?

This is almost complete now. I'd say it's going ahead because the bypass is going to start, but I doubt the money is coming from the main contract so I don't know if it would be technically correct to say it's prelimary work.

busyatwork

red bull wrote: »

Prelimary work going ahead in Tuam, paths being laid as far as junction of M17 & Tuam bypass

Is that all thats going on or is there any major work taken place yet

JCX BXC

So 7 months later, and people are sitting on their asses and not building the motorway. Ridiculous.

busyatwork

Carnacalla wrote: »

So 7 months later, and people are sitting on their asses and not building the motorway. Ridiculous.

Yes it appears that way , every time I have spoken to the main contractor it has being a different start date

Apologies for the delay, was trying to get better pics. Below is the best I could manage safely as I came on the lights as the only car so could stop for a min across from the works. Unfortunately there's no hard shoulder along this stretch so there's nowhere handy to pull in (with the time I had available)

The works have started at this location - http://osm.org/go/esfb59d4-?m=

Its just after Dolmen Farm as you head towards Galway

When I drove through there today there was easily 20+ vehicles there of all shapes and sizes (dumpers, diggers, vans & worker 4x4's) but couldnt safely get any snaps. In the images below, where you see the white sign and the digger, it was along here that there was a long line of vehicles today









There's been a good bit of ground works done since I took these last week. Time & safety permitting, I'll post updates as soon as possible

red bull

Work to start on Tuam bypass 4th January 2015

JCX BXC

red bull wrote: »

Work to start on Tuam bypass 4th January 2015

Pity they are starting the tuam side.

con71

Carnacalla wrote: »

Pity they are starting the tuam side.

Let me guess, you don't live in or near Tuam

glineli

Carnacalla wrote: »

Pity they are starting the tuam side.

I had heard they were going to start at 3 different locations so maybe they will make a start at the Gort end also

red bull

Seems work has already started near Athenry

JCX BXC

Hopefully. I though the point of the M18 was to connect limerick and Galway, I don't see the point in delaying that road any further

f2

work is starting in 3 differant sections of motorway Roadbgidge doing the Tuam end, other sections belong to the other 2 firms forming Direct Route, was talking to a guy who seen a planning notice dated 5/12/14 looking for planning for the permanent storage of peat and subsoil 50,000 tonnes!, will it take 3 months to get plamning permissin, if it does will it be next March before any big dig starts at Tuam

flazio

red bull wrote: »

Seems work has already started near Athenry

If you're talking about near the graveyard, that's a different project.
They are realigning the junction to remove the crossroads.

busyatwork

Its great to see some progress on the construction of this moterway ,id say it will be well into march before the large earthworks takes place with weather and planning and all that work having to be taking into consideration before you will see any shape taking place