M18 - Gort to Crusheen

Tech3 · 07-06-2009 8:22pm

Thanks for the photos Kev.

How did you manage to get a shot of the whole Gort interchange? Did you go into the site entrance?

Btw another structure yet to start is the tubber-crusheen overbridge. A lot of earthworks have been done on this section in the last few weeks. Also the tubber-gort road realignment is still currently being focused on the Gort side of the scheme.

Chris_533976 · 07-06-2009 9:06pm

Great pics, thanks

I've always noticed how tidy this scheme is kept. Every time they stop work all the machines are lined up in a nice neat line.

KevR · 07-06-2009 9:24pm

tech2 wrote: »

How did you manage to get a shot of the whole Gort interchange? Did you go into the site entrance?

Yeah just climbed the gate and walked in around.

That's another thing I noticed - this site is a lot more secure than the M6 site. On the M18 site there's fencing up in the Gort area and the gates were locked; whereas they leave the gates wide open on parts of the M6 site.

KevR · 22-06-2009 12:34am

Got a few pictures of progress down near the Crusheen end.

Click thumbnails for full size images.

First 2 are of a bridge structure near the Southern end of the scheme; looking South:

Looking North from the Southern end of the scheme:

Mid-way between Crusheen and Gort. There was almost no earthwork done here the last time I passed! :eek:

_________________________________________

Decided to take a few of the N18 HQDC (re-designation candidate) near Ennis.

First 2 are looking South from the overbridge at the Ennis junction:

Looking North from the Ennis junction:

Travelling Southbound, near Shannon:

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Artwork on the Southbound carriageway

KevR · 22-06-2009 12:35am

A bit off-topic for this thread but a few pictures of the N19 (spur off the N18 to Shannon Airport).

Pedestrian footbridge:

Looking West:

Looking East:

Tech3 · 22-06-2009 8:15am

KevR wrote: »

Mid-way between Crusheen and Gort. There was almost no earthwork done here the last time I passed! :eek:

Thats the Ruan underbridge a lot was done from a few months ago though. Progress is still extremely fast. They have started on the Crusheen interchange also. Ballyline overbridge structure is almost complete as well.

Will upload some photos in a few days I took during the weekend.

Tech3 · 22-06-2009 8:39am

Great photos of the N19 there also Kev.

The N19 wiki page page looks very bare might need a pic or two

KevR · 22-06-2009 9:18am

Will upload a couple of photos to wikipedia today. Was going to do it last night but it was getting a bit late for me by the time I had finished posting them here.

Also, at the Gort interchange - last time I was there they had a temporary sort of railing on the bridge, now they have a permanent one. Looks like a layer of concrete has been poured on the deck of the bridge also. Didn't get any pictures though, just saw it when passing.

serfboard · 22-06-2009 1:21pm

tech2 wrote: »

Progress is still extremely fast.

Agreed. It's been said on this forum before that bonus payments for early completion have been stopped for all roads, but you'd swear by the way this one is progressing that that is not the case.

Any thoughts?

glineli · 22-06-2009 1:28pm

serfboard wrote: »

Agreed. It's been said on this forum before that bonus payments for early completion have been stopped for all roads, but you'd swear by the way this one is progressing that that is not the case.

Any thoughts?

The scheduled completion date is summer 2011, but at this pace how soon could they get it done?

Tech3 · 22-06-2009 2:16pm

glineli wrote: »

The scheduled completion date is summer 2011, but at this pace how soon could they get it done?

I have photos from practically every structure on the scheme to upload soon. It is going so fast it really is unbelievable. The ballysheedy underpass is open to traffic, the Lahardan overbridge only started a few weeks ago I couldnt believe how much has been done on it already.

August/September next year IMO.

KevR · 22-06-2009 2:25pm

Read in a different thread on here before that Gort-Crusheen will be getting a steel barrier and won't be getting a CBM layer (not sure if that's right but will certainly pull the the completion date forward if correct).

Next summer is definitely a possibility.

Tech3 · 25-06-2009 5:56pm

Work is flying on this scheme. Heres about 80% of the structures

Curraderra Overbridge

Looking North from Curraderra Overbridge

Ballyline Overbridge

Looking south from Ballyline Overbridge

Ruan Underbridge

Crusheen Interchange

Lahardan Overbridge

Gortahover Overbridge

Looking North from Gortahover Overbridge

Shanaglish Overbridge

View of Mainline South from Gort-Tubber overbridge

Tech3 · 25-06-2009 5:58pm

South side of Tubber-Gort Overbridge

North side of Gort-Tubber overbridge

Looking North from Gort-Tubber road crossover

Realignment of the Tubber-Gort rd

Ballysheedy Underpass

Looking south on Mainline from Ballysheedy underpass

R460 Crossover looking at mainline heading north toward Gort Interchange

R460 Overbridge

Chris_533976 · 25-06-2009 6:26pm

Thanks for those

This is still flying along. Its putting other schemes to shame.

Tech3 · 25-06-2009 7:17pm

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Thanks for those This is still flying along. Its putting other schemes to shame.

Also to add to the photo updates:

Lurga Underpass unknown
Moyree Overbridge unknown
Mid Clare Way(underpass) unknown
Millbrook River bridge unknown
Bearnafusin underpass construction (no access to this)
Cragard Overbridge construction (no progress on it)

Tubber-Crusheen Overbridge:

This hasnt started yet but when I was passing it the other day a new surface has been put down parallel to the current road so to accomadate construction of the overbridge. It should start in the next month or so.

glineli · 26-06-2009 9:26am

They are working down the Cursheen end til 9 pm these days with the good weather, its great!!!!

Tech3 · 26-06-2009 11:02pm

westtip wrote: »

Think I'm gettin my road schemes confused - alas I agree with you I am not counting on the Atlantic corridor remotely coming in on timing of T21, mores the pity.

I wish it was the case myself as I use most of the route regularly. Gort-Tuam is absolutely MASSIVE though and if it goes ahead next year I will be very surprised.

The rest of the N17 and N4 Sligo bypass is a pipedream away. Actually a bypass of Sligo looks very complicated in design itself.

L1011 · 27-06-2009 2:49am

N4 Sligo Bypass won't even start happening until the SIRR stops functioning to an acceptable level. Which is another five years of actual economic growth away....

KevR · 03-07-2009 2:29pm

http://www.galwaynews.ie/8015-n17-cpo-land-values-halved

N17 CPO land values halved

Thu 2nd July 2009
Landowners disappointed at price estimates

LANDOWNERS along a 45 mile stretch are set to be disappointed as the value of lands they will sacrifice for a new motorway has plummeted by more than half over the past two years.
It means that the lands that will be subject of compulsory purchase orders between Gort and Claremorris are now worth considerably less than the compensation packages which farmers along the M6 received.
Prices of around €20,000 was being paid for an acre of land two years ago but now the value has dropped by more than half and this will be reflected on the compensation packages paid to farmers on whose lands the new road will pass through.
This week the proposed N17/N18 Gort to Tuam road will go to tender and it is expected that compulsory purchase process will commence early next year.
Farmers will...

JupiterKid · 03-07-2009 5:29pm

KevR wrote: »

http://www.galwaynews.ie/8015-n17-cpo-land-values-halved

Good. Land prices had reached ridiculously obscene levels during the Great Irish Property Bubble. I'll bet the farmers will be holding out and make threats to the NRA. Well - the more they hold out, the more their land values will drop.

Economics of supply and demand, lads...

nordydan · 03-07-2009 6:52pm

Updates here:
http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Media,10689,en.pdf
http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Media,10688,en.pdf

I read the article and thought the Tuam-Claremorris scheme was confirmed as motorway. Not so

Chris_533976 · 03-07-2009 7:35pm

Good that its getting planned, but Tuam - Claremorris wont be built for an unbelieveable amount of time.

Tech3 · 03-07-2009 8:04pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

They've always been blue as far as I can remember, they are on the N11 Single and Dual Carriageway. Blue is the colour for parking signs???

Thanks wasnt sure as I dont see them on many dcs usually.

Tech3 · 03-07-2009 8:44pm

nordydan wrote: »

Updates here:
http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Media,10689,en.pdf
http://www.galway.ie/en/media/Media,10688,en.pdf

I read the article and thought the Tuam-Claremorris scheme was confirmed as motorway. Not so

Nope traffic levels anywhere above Tuam dont warrant a motorway standard road. 2+2 is very good compared to what the state the current road is at the moment in places.

Milltown to about 3km south of it need to be resurfaced badly.

When/IF Gort-Tuam is done it will leave a very poor road (Tuam-Claremorris) sandwiched in between two very good stretches (Gort-Tuam) (Claremorris-Curry).

On the N17 Tobercurry Bypass to Knock Bypass Ph 1 it says:

The scheme bypasses both the towns of Kilkelly and Charlestown/ Bellahy and the village of Curry,

Funnily Killkelly and Curry already have a bypass. Something sounds very familiar here .........

Carawaystick · 03-07-2009 10:20pm

I thought the N17 is pretty good from North on Ballindine( as it's in Mayo it got some of the P Flynn goodness....)
Claremorris even has a badly laid out GSJ where the N60 crosses the N17.
Loads of Level crossings though, these need to be removed...

Tech3 · 03-07-2009 11:09pm

Yeah when the road improves with h/s somewhere between Balendine and Claremorris it is of good quality until Curry.

So no plans for the WRC to Sligo then!!!

I think the N17 will hold up fine north of Tuam with perhaps a need of resurfacing on some stretches for the next few years being realistic with no money for upgrading.

Galway-Tuam is way beyond capacity though IMO and the road wont hold up much longer with the amount of traffic it carries every day. N17/N18 is badly needed but I seem to be repeating myself at this stage :pac:

westtip · 04-07-2009 12:13am

tech2 wrote: »

and Curry already have a bypass. Something sounds very familiar here .........

Indeed Curry is bypassed however - as there are a few houses on the "by-pass" plus a hotel (Yeats Lodge) the speed limit drops to 60kph, and the road is actually quite good (standard wide singlecarriage with hard shoulder; it is a very popular spot for the Gards to sit rather lazily and pop people for speeding - which is very easily done cos if you don't know the road you would think it was a national road with standard national road speed limits. I have been done on it by a Gard just sitting there pulling guys in on a Friday afternoon with nothing better to do - like catching a few criminals, or looking for lunatics driving at high speed on country boreens. I wouldn't mind if they made some effort to really get you to slow down but the Mayo Garda are using it as a revenue generator and to easily keep their numbers up on speeding fines.

Irish and Proud · 04-07-2009 10:14pm

tech2 wrote: »

Nope traffic levels anywhere above Tuam dont warrant a motorway standard road. 2+2 is very good compared to what the state the current road is at the moment in places.

...yeah, but if they're going to go to all the bother of building a complete new alignment instead of re-aligning the worst parts of the existing N17 and improving the rest (to 2+2 spec), would it not make sense to go the whole way and build an M-way (even with CGSJs like on the M18). In any case, most roads crossing 2+2 alignments are grade separated (CGSJs for roads between 1000 and 5000 PCUs?) except for junctions with busier roads (5000 PCUs +?) for which roundabouts are standard. LILOs can also be used for roads of 1000 PCUs or less (on 2+2s).

Cross Sections:

Type: 2+2 (Type 2 Dual)
Pavement: 16.5m
Verges: 2.5m
Alignment: 21.5m

Type: D2M (Standard Dual)
Pavement: 21.6m (min)
Verges: 2.0m
Alignment: 25.6m

OK, there is a difference of 4.1m (5.1m for the pavement), but by the time the road actually gets built, future proofing might become more of an issue - it was 20 years since I was ever on the N17 between Tuam and Claremorris, but if I remember correctly, it was a pretty busy road. If a motorway proves too expensive, maybe a reduced dual road type could be considered by the NRA:

Type: RD2 (Expressway - like the Autovia roads in Spain)
Verges: 2.0m
Verges Strips: 1.0m
Carriageways: 7.0m
Median (C.B.): 2.6m
Pavement: 18.6m
Alignment: 22.6m
Difference (2+2): 1.1m (2.1m for the pavement)
Junctions: Full GSJs

This road would offer the same driving comfort as the Standard Dual - Same distance from the concrete barrier rather than being a mere 0.5-0.6m from a wire barrier - especially for longer distance driving. Also, carriageways with 1.0m strips would feel a lot less closed in than those with 0.5m strips. If sightlines are good enough and traffic is fairly light, a 120kph limit could be applied to such expressways.

Regards!

Chris_533976 · 04-07-2009 10:49pm

I really dont think we need a motorway to Claremorris. The threat of the WRC going there eventually is bad enough. 2+2 will be fine.

M18 - Gort to Crusheen

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