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

marno21 · 08-11-2017 09:57PM

Plenty of destinations not served in Shannon are served from Knock, in the UK in particular. Knock also has different timed flights (morning Edinburgh - Shannon has it in the evening afaik).

From Limerick, I would now consider Knock when I wouldn't have pre M17.

Roadfan · 08-11-2017 10:19PM

marno21 wrote: »

Plenty of destinations not served in Shannon are served from Knock, in the UK in particular. Knock also has different timed flights (morning Edinburgh - Shannon has it in the evening afaik).

From Limerick, I would now consider Knock when I wouldn't have pre M17.

On the general topic of infrastructure west of the Shannon. Knock airport got plenty of negative reaction when first proposed . Foggy boggy site and all that. More recently M17 the same. Ghost motorway predicted. I don't see it as a case of Dublin versus the rest. It's just that the whole country has become lopsided in terms of development. Sure the jobs seem to be pouring into Dublin and the east. But what about quality of life and I mean commuting etc. M50 sounds like a nightmare. We need Govt. to lead by focusing on infrastructure in the west and perhaps southwest too.

JCX BXC · 09-11-2017 12:02AM

marno21 wrote: »

Plenty of destinations not served in Shannon are served from Knock, in the UK in particular. Knock also has different timed flights (morning Edinburgh - Shannon has it in the evening afaik).

From Limerick, I would now consider Knock when I wouldn't have pre M17.

The same for Knock though, they complement eachother in ways, however my point firmly stands that I can't see much of an improvement in take-up of services on both. For example with the Edinburgh flight you gave, although yes timings from both Knock and Shannon are ideally suited to supplement eachother, in my opinion the cheap flights from Dublin on the same route would likely 'knock' out most of this traffic (pardon the pun).

Hopefully it will allow some strengthening on each others strong routes, perhaps UK for Knock and US for Shannon, however I don't think the effect will be quite as dramatic as it's being made out to be. That's just my opinion on the matter, I can understand differing opinions.

yew_tree · 09-11-2017 09:51AM

Knock and Shannon can play off each other to both their advantage. Some people would love to shut down the west of Ireland and turn it into a nature reserve. Investment in this country is lopsided. Of course Dublin needs investment and is the driver of the economy but you must create a balance.

Having lived abroad and Dublin for a while, I think the standard of living in the west is the best (but then again I am biased

MBSnr · 09-11-2017 11:56AM

Hmm seems that Google Maps may still need some more work on the new section for routing algorithms or whatever. I noticed that when driving down from Tuam to Gort, numerous times it kept putting me on a minor road over the motorway or one right beside it. As soon as I got beyond Gort it stopped happening....

unit 1 · 09-11-2017 06:05PM

AA routeplanner now showing castlebar dublin via claremorris/tuam/m17 as 1 minute longer than n5. This deffo makes the n60 castlebar claremorris rd the next priority for mayo.
In fact a 2x2 from the soon to be started n5 cbar wport where it skirts around castlebar plus a similar upgrade of claremorris to tuam should be the ultimate aim.

m17 · 09-11-2017 06:09PM

The start of the m17 at tuam

ELCAT2009 · 10-11-2017 08:47AM

Anyone know why the lay by areas are closed off with barriers on the new road eg between 16 and 16.5 N on the M17. Why build lay-bys for trucks etc to pull in and rest if they are going to close them off? They look fully finished?

oisin_reme · 10-11-2017 08:52AM

They are Garda Enforcement areas not laybys for drivers

m17 · 10-11-2017 09:34AM

ELCAT2009 wrote: »

Anyone know why the lay by areas are closed off with barriers on the new road eg between 16 and 16.5 N on the M17. Why build lay-bys for trucks etc to pull in and rest if they are going to close them off? They look fully finished?

They will open when paul2013 comes back

prunudo · 10-11-2017 11:05AM

ELCAT2009 wrote: »

Anyone know why the lay by areas are closed off with barriers on the new road eg between 16 and 16.5 N on the M17. Why build lay-bys for trucks etc to pull in and rest if they are going to close them off? They look fully finished?

They are for the RSA to have checkpoints to ensure drivers are having their required breaks.
You didnt think the government would build laybys to make it easier for the drivers to abide by these rules did you!

whitey1 · 10-11-2017 12:22PM

unit 1 wrote: »

AA routeplanner now showing castlebar dublin via claremorris/tuam/m17 as 1 minute longer than n5. This deffo makes the n60 castlebar claremorris rd the next priority for mayo.
In fact a 2x2 from the soon to be started n5 cbar wport where it skirts around castlebar plus a similar upgrade of claremorris to tuam should be the ultimate aim.

Thats great....while it states that there is only a on minutes difference, you would have many more opportunities to lose time travelling on the N5, especially the Roscommon stretch

The M17 could become the preferred route for of West Mayo.....as all these travellers (from places such as Achill, Westport and Louisburgh) would be going through Castlebar anyway.

Just a matter of personal preference I guess, but theres way more comfort travelling on the motorway rather than the current N5 route

whitey1 · 10-11-2017 12:22PM

unit 1 wrote: »

AA routeplanner now showing castlebar dublin via claremorris/tuam/m17 as 1 minute longer than n5. This deffo makes the n60 castlebar claremorris rd the next priority for mayo.
In fact a 2x2 from the soon to be started n5 cbar wport where it skirts around castlebar plus a similar upgrade of claremorris to tuam should be the ultimate aim.

Thats great....while it states that there is only a on minutes difference, you would have many more opportunities to lose time travelling on the N5, especially the Roscommon stretch

The M17 could become the preferred route for of West Mayo.....as all these travellers (from places such as Achill, Westport and Louisburgh) would be going through Castlebar anyway.

Just a matter of personal preference I guess, but theres way more comfort travelling on the motorway rather than the current N5 route

what_traffic · 10-11-2017 02:53PM

jvan wrote: »

They are for the RSA to have checkpoints to ensure drivers are having their required breaks.
You didnt think the government would build laybys to make it easier for the drivers to abide by these rules did you!

How many hours per year will these actually be used for? A wasted resource IMHO.

munchkin_utd · 10-11-2017 03:11PM

what_traffic wrote: »

How many hours per year will these actually be used for? A wasted resource IMHO.

the new motorway is owned and operated by a private company. If they opened the rubbish dump and open air uninal lay bys, then they would incur cleaning costs which they can avoid by not opening them.

The experts are free to correct me, but from what I gather the presence of these laybys is no more than a strange quirk in the road building regulations, that are literally a duplicate of the UK regs with just an odd exception for local taste, that the laybys are part of the UK High quality dual Carraigeway standard so they end up being provided in Ireland.

Either way, they are a substandard, low capacity and fairly hazardous stopping area so not much of a loss if they aren't open.

10-11-2017 06:49PM

I know they recently closed the ones at the Loughrea exit on the M6

You're right about them being a weird quirk. I was honestly surprised when I saw them on the M17/18,thought they'd written them out

marno21 · 10-11-2017 08:52PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I know they recently closed the ones at the Loughrea exit on the M6

You're right about them being a weird quirk. I was honestly surprised when I saw them on the M17/18,thought they'd written them out

M17/M18 was designed and approved well before they were. If it had proceeded when it went to tender, the motorway would've opened shortly after all the interurbans.

D Trent · 10-11-2017 10:10PM

Oh isn't Ireland a brilliant country really. We build lay bys at Huge expense and then deem them unnecessary, while elsewhere, roads that were opened 10yrs ago or less, they're now building lay bys.http://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/leitrim/leitrim-councillor-calls-lay-works-n4-dromod-rooskey-pass-inadequate/

And before anyone says oh they must be there on motorways,...in the past RSA, Customs, Dept Social Protection, Gardai have operated checkpoints on parts motorways where there is no lay by.

m17 · 11-11-2017 02:08PM

The m18 at gortroa 10/11/17

start of the m17 at rathmorrissy

m17 · 11-11-2017 10:11PM

RATHMORRISSY 11/11/17

m17 · 12-11-2017 08:32PM

THE M17 AT LARAGHMORE 12/11/17

the Annagh hill footbridge

ELCAT2009 · 13-11-2017 08:50AM

I noticed this morning joining the M17 at tuam, that a vehicle must have ploughed through the safety barrier at the corner closest to Brogans tractor yard. Someone flying on the bypass i suspect and planning to go straight out the motorway but didnt make its all the way round!. There looked to be none of the barrier left where it hit so im wondering what kind of impact force they are designed to withstand? Is it just a side swipe force to keep vehicles in the lane of they lose control? I'd say from looking at whats left of the barrier here it was was head on. Justa few cones here now

gammygils · 13-11-2017 10:46AM

ELCAT2009 wrote: »

I noticed this morning joining the M17 at tuam, that a vehicle must have ploughed through the safety barrier at the corner closest to Brogans tractor yard. Someone flying on the bypass i suspect and planning to go straight out the motorway but didnt make its all the way round!. There looked to be none of the barrier left where it hit so im wondering what kind of impact force they are designed to withstand? Is it just a side swipe force to keep vehicles in the lane of they lose control? I'd say from looking at whats left of the barrier here it was was head on. Justa few cones here now

A van crashed there on Friday afternoon around 1:30 - 2pm Nobody hurt.

m17 · 13-11-2017 03:41PM

The m18 at parknacuppul 16/03/16

13/11/17

MBSnr · 13-11-2017 09:07PM

MBSnr wrote: »

^^^
Google maps still not showing traffic info for the new route. Another layer to enable I guess....
(Plus the already mentioned wrong labelling etc).

I see they have changed the wrongly labelled M17 (south of the M6) to now say M18.

Still no traffic data though...

m17 · 14-11-2017 09:24AM

ELCAT2009 wrote: »

I noticed this morning joining the M17 at tuam, that a vehicle must have ploughed through the safety barrier at the corner closest to Brogans tractor yard. Someone flying on the bypass i suspect and planning to go straight out the motorway but didnt make its all the way round!. There looked to be none of the barrier left where it hit so im wondering what kind of impact force they are designed to withstand? Is it just a side swipe force to keep vehicles in the lane of they lose control? I'd say from looking at whats left of the barrier here it was was head on. Justa few cones here now

Let's hope this doesn't happen on the m17, the m6 yesterday between ballinasloe and athlone

ELCAT2009 · 14-11-2017 09:37AM

m17 wrote: »

Let's hope this doesn't happen on the m17, the m6 yesterday between ballinasloe and athlone

Barrier didn't serve much purpose there

. Its a miracle nobody was killed or seriously injured. I expect if that had been a concrete barrier that the truck would at least have stayed on the same side of the barrier although its load may not have.

serfboard · 14-11-2017 12:01PM

ELCAT2009 wrote: »

Barrier didn't serve much purpose there. Its a miracle nobody was killed or seriously injured. I expect if that had been a concrete barrier that the truck would at least have stayed on the same side of the barrier although its load may not have.

Yeah - let's hope the RSA does its job now and demands that a concrete barrier be put on that section of the motorway.

m17 · 14-11-2017 12:19PM

Google maps 13/11/17

they still have the n18 going form oranmore to the m6

JCX BXC · 14-11-2017 12:37PM

m17 wrote: »

they still have the n18 going form oranmore to the m6

Rest of the N17/N18 downgraded/changed, and the M18/N17 ring road is now listed as such!

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

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