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

m17 · 13-09-2017 06:05PM

The first dumptruck arrives at annagh hill 29/01/15

13-09-2017 06:50PM

J o e wrote: »

I posted about this on a Galway City thread before - do you think this would be a viable solution to stop motorway traffic using the wrong lane and clogging up that roundabout?

On that roundabout, you have two lanes turning right, it's pointless closing one lane.
It would be better to fit lights to the roundabout at the entry from the south that switch between traffic from the south and the east. Plus a yellow hatch to prevent southbound traffic being blocked by queuing traffic on the roundabout.

The lights need only be part-time.
Something like this.

Sam Russell · 13-09-2017 07:22PM

Deleted User wrote: »

On that roundabout, you have two lanes turning right, it's pointless closing one lane.
It would be better to fit lights to the roundabout at the entry from the south that switch between traffic from the south and the east. Plus a yellow hatch to prevent southbound traffic being blocked by queuing traffic on the roundabout.

The lights need only be part-time.
Something like this.

Another solution would be to add a third bypass lane for traffic coming south going into Galway, which then merges after the roundabout. Motorway traffic will still use two lanes on the roundabout.

It would have been better to design that as a free flow junction.

marno21 · 13-09-2017 08:02PM

MOD: Can we discuss the merits of brackets on road signage on a seperate thread please.

Can we discuss issues with traffic in Galway city on the N6 Galway City Ring Road thread as its more relevant there

Thanks

marno21 · 13-09-2017 08:03PM

m17 wrote: »

Ribbon to be cut at kiltiernan at 11am 27/09/17why can't the ribbon be cut at rathmorrissy at least he'll be cutting the ribbon for both the m17/m18

There's more convenient road access at Kiltiernan than there is at Rathmorrissey.

spacetweek · 13-09-2017 10:09PM

They sound very cavalier with the signage with local people threatening to put up their own. Let the TII do it.

marno21 · 13-09-2017 10:18PM

spacetweek wrote: »

They sound very cavalier with the signage with local people threatening to put up their own. Let the TII do it.

If they put it up it'll be taken straight back down and the perpetrators will be fined. I don't know how many tourists are going to visit the middle of nowhere but it's not enough to have massive signs detailing every little townland along the route.

I love the councillor at the end of the article, about a €270m motorway to a small town opening, and he looking for a rail link. Be ****ing grateful for what you are getting.

wotzgoingon · 13-09-2017 10:26PM

When will google maps update their maps to show this new motorway?

ClaptonBay · 13-09-2017 10:40PM

Probably wishful thinking here but will this have any effect for the headford road? Only recently started to commute on this road and bit shocked by the amount of congested traffic on it... Never really asked anyone who does the route regularly before I started.

JCX BXC · 13-09-2017 10:45PM

Any traffic within the city will be the same as it always was I'm afraid. If anything certain parts will be worse as the M17/18 draws in more traffic to the coolagh roundabout.

wotzgoingon · 13-09-2017 10:46PM

ClaptonBay wrote: »

Probably wishful thinking here but will this have any effect for the headford road? Only recently started to commute on this road and bit shocked by the amount of congested traffic on it... Never really asked anyone who does the route regularly before I started.

I doubt it. That road does come to standstill during rush hour.

marno21 · 13-09-2017 11:01PM

The main thing this will do is remove any N/S traffic completely from the national road around Galway. This will reduce traffic in Claregalway & Clarinbridge, and may lead to reductions on the Headford Road as Castlebar/centre & east Mayo traffic no longer has to navigate Tuam.

It'll be interesting to see how many N17 commuters switch to the M17, and the same with N18 commuters. I can see variability in Claregalway congestion until it reaches steady state with some people opting for the N83 and the rest braving the M17 dependent on how traffic is at the Coolagh R/A.

The main problem with this scheme its success is entirely dependent on the Galway bypass/ring road. So it may not fully bear fruit for a few years yet.

If I were the TII/council I'd be looking at measures to divert traffic onto the motorway seeing as it should be on the motorway rather than through towns and villages. Priority bus measures; reduced speed limits; HGV bans; traffic lights. If you don't like them use the M17/M18.

red bull · 14-09-2017 01:13AM

marno21 wrote: »

If they put it up it'll be taken straight back down and the perpetrators will be fined. I don't know how many tourists are going to visit the middle of nowhere but it's not enough to have massive signs detailing every little townland along the route.

I love the councillor at the end of the article, about a €270m motorway to a small town opening, and he looking for a rail link. Be ****ing grateful for what you are getting.

You may not believe it but many tourists love to visit rural areas

m17 · 14-09-2017 07:36AM

wotzgoingon wrote: »

When will google maps update their maps to show this new motorway?

Annagh hill flyover opened on the 27/04/16 it was the 30th of October 16 before it appeared on Google maps 6 months later

Benbecul97 · 14-09-2017 09:03AM

ClaptonBay wrote: »

Probably wishful thinking here but will this have any effect for the headford road? Only recently started to commute on this road and bit shocked by the amount of congested traffic on it... Never really asked anyone who does the route regularly before I started.

I think it will. Many commuters use the N84 to avoid Claregalway. They take the N84 to Cloonboo and then turn right after Regans and arrive back out on the N17 at Loughgeorge / Knockdoe / Corrandrum.

The M17/M18 is a brand new route so it will help ease traffic on both the N17 and N84. It obviously wont suit everyone but every commuter that it does suit will ease congestion on the existing routes.

plodder · 14-09-2017 10:20AM

muddle84 wrote: »

road_high wrote:

veryangryman wrote:

I'm checking the maps now with regard to the N5.

Should Dublin->Westport now be done via the N5 (and signposted as such)? It looks much more efficient to do m4->m6->m17->n17->Rwhatever to the town.

I asked the same a while back and was told it's still considerably longer via that route. The N5 will remain the main route from Dublin/east

Its an option but once you get to Tuam heading for Westport its a pretty bad road. With the direct route from Tuam it will still be in the region of 20km longer than the Longford route. If you went Via Claremorris and Castlebar from Tuam ( this would be a better road) that adds another 10km to the route. I think the Longford route will be faster.

I was wondering this also. I just checked it using google maps from Liffey Valley to Westport (off peak - best times) and if you allow say 15 minutes on the new bit from the M6 to Tuam then it comes out as:

N5 == 2:50
M6/M17 == 2:45

I'm not familiar with the road from Tuam to Ballinrobe, but from there it's not too bad, though the section from Partry is not great, but I assume google maps accounts for all that.

sonnyblack · 14-09-2017 10:38AM

plodder wrote: »

I was wondering this also. I just checked it using google maps from Liffey Valley to Westport (off peak - best times) and if you allow say 15 minutes on the new bit from the M6 to Tuam then it comes out as:

N5 == 2:50
M6/M17 == 2:45

I'm not familiar with the road from Tuam to Ballinrobe, but from there it's not too bad, though the section from Partry is not great, but I assume google maps accounts for all that.

Try Westport again via castlebar from tuam. Better road

plodder · 14-09-2017 10:49AM

sonnyblack wrote: »

Try Westport again via castlebar from tuam. Better road

About 4 minutes slower, but definitely a better road. I thought it would be a lot slower. Point is there are more options now either way.

KevR · 14-09-2017 12:35PM

marno21 wrote: »

It'll be interesting to see how many N17 commuters switch to the M17, and the same with N18 commuters. I can see variability in Claregalway congestion until it reaches steady state with some people opting for the N83 and the rest braving the M17 dependent on how traffic is at the Coolagh R/A.

The main problem with this scheme its success is entirely dependent on the Galway bypass/ring road. So it may not fully bear fruit for a few years yet.

My thinking is that many inbound commutes in the morning may get little or no benefit by switching to the M17. The Coolagh Roundabout and Briarhill junction already struggle in the morning, it will only get worse.

It's a lot more likely that some outbound evening commutes will benefit from switching to the M17. Coolagh Roundabout is not really a problem in the evenings. The roundabout is bypassed by a free-flow left turn slip road meaning the traffic flow is quite good.

m17 · 14-09-2017 01:01PM

The m17 at carthymore looking towards rathmorrissy 14/09/17

carthymore looking towards tuam

sisk are finishing off the fencing the also have the emergency gates put in on the left hand side

Geuze · 14-09-2017 01:06PM

KevR wrote: »

My thinking is that many inbound commutes in the morning may get little or no benefit by switching to the M17. The Coolagh Roundabout and Briarhill junction already struggle in the morning, it will only get worse.

Just curious, do you expect Coolagh / Briarhill to be bad at 7am-7:15am?

Benbecul97 · 14-09-2017 02:42PM

Geuze wrote: »

Just curious, do you expect Coolagh / Briarhill to be bad at 7am-7:15am?

Nothing like it will be an hour later!

what_traffic · 14-09-2017 03:17PM

KevR wrote: »

My thinking is that many inbound commutes in the morning may get little or no benefit by switching to the M17. The Coolagh Roundabout and Briarhill junction already struggle in the morning, it will only get worse.

It's a lot more likely that some outbound evening commutes will benefit from switching to the M17. Coolagh Roundabout is not really a problem in the evenings. The roundabout is bypassed by a free-flow left turn slip road meaning the traffic flow is quite good.

Agree 100% on this KevR, especially for car commuters going to and from Parkmore on the current N17.

spacetweek · 14-09-2017 07:34PM

red bull wrote: »

You may not believe it but many tourists love to visit rural areas

Irrelevant - you aren't allowed put up any sign you like, they have to be
in accordance with standards or else you end up with festive affairs like this.

joeKel73 · 15-09-2017 07:59AM

spacetweek wrote: »

...you end up with festive affairs like this.

...which are great, gives the place some character.

red bull · 15-09-2017 08:19AM

spacetweek wrote: »

Irrelevant - you aren't allowed put up any sign you like, they have to be
in accordance with standards or else you end up with festive affairs like this.

Irrelevent - thats an overcrowded pole in a town or village. On the motorway a list of the village near to an exit would be helpful

m17 · 15-09-2017 08:26AM

M18 junction 16 gort looking towards Limerick 15/09/17

gort looking towards rathmorrissy

starting tonight thus barriers will be pulled up after eight years than line painting and cats eyes and the gantry sign and that's it only 12 days to go 4pm the 27/09/17 roll on

Roadfan · 15-09-2017 08:43AM

How much line painting cats eyes etc left M17 ?

m17 · 15-09-2017 08:51AM

Roadfan wrote: »

How much line painting cats eyes etc left M17 ?

There's about 1km left to do all will be complete on the 22/09/17

m17 · 15-09-2017 09:24AM

Kiltiernan 15/09/17

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

Comments