N6 - Athlone Bypass Upgrade works

JupiterKid · 02-05-2010 5:19pm

veryangryman wrote: »

This time 10 years ago, you had Motorway to Kilcock from Dublin. The length of the m4/M6 has quadrupled since.

People act like spoilt brats with this. The fact is that you have at worst Dual Carriageway all the way Heuston to Renmore. Sure Athlone bypass is looking a tad dated but its hardly a bottleneck by any mans standards. One of the great advantages of living in the town (as any visitor will also confirm) is the decent infrastructure provided a la the bypass.

Complete waste of money to upgrade until the likes of Claregalway, Newlands, completed Atlantic corridoor and even a possible N52 upgrade from Tyrellspass-Ardee get sorted out.

And a partridge in a pear tree

Agreed. I think many have been spoiled by the rollout of new road schemes and are forgetting just how much a quantum leap road infrastructure has taken in Ireland in the past 10 to 15 years. Just 15 years ago, the principal roads connecting our main cities and towns were dangerous goat tracks for much of their length, there were very few bypasses and only a couple of tiny sections of motorway.

The Athlone bypass works are adequate for now. Other road schemes are much more pressing, like the M11 to link ther Arklow and Ashford bypasses and the N21 upgrade/bypasses.

Sully · 03-05-2010 12:24pm

Any ideas what the exact plans for the road are and how long it will take?

munchkin_utd · 05-05-2010 1:44pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

The Athlone bypass works are adequate for now. Other road schemes are much more pressing, like the M11 to link ther Arklow and Ashford bypasses and the N21 upgrade/bypasses.

with 7 million you'd not be building much M11 Motorway
Nor would you even make a dent on the M20 project.

A basic relief road for remaining bottlenecks like Claregalway though could be attempted with smaller sums.
Edgeworthstown by-pass on the N4 for example cost 14 million at the peak of the boom so it would be nearer 7 to 10 now with land prices etc.
Its a massive improvement on what the situation was before and theres surely other places that could benefit from similar schemes at a moderate cost.

Belturbet and Virginia on the N3 spring to mind!

L1011 · 05-05-2010 6:34pm

Edgeworthstown's shape helped that bypass be very short and hence very cheap.

The best comparable scheme is the N5 Longford BP. Very short, very cheap and already CPOed

whyulittle · 08-06-2010 1:13pm

These works are going to be a nightmare.

Cones back on the bypass today west bound to allow drain clearing by the looks of it. Very small area to merge from the Exit 10 ramp straight into the outer lane and at a pretty sharp angle too.

While driving the same spot yesterday, could see an unmarked squad car across on the east bound carraigeway, pretty much hiding on the slip road, tagging cars with a speed gun.

Empire o de Sun · 08-06-2010 9:56pm

veryangryman wrote: »

Don't get me started on the Germans today...:mad:

What did they do?

veryangryman · 08-06-2010 10:08pm

Empire o de Sun wrote: »

What did they do?

I think youll find Munich beat Manyoo in the Champions League the night before.

To somehow put the thread back on topic, i would compare that dissapointment to that dream i once had that Athlone never had a bypass! :eek:

Empire o de Sun · 08-06-2010 10:18pm

I remember getting to the Athlone Bypass and thinking it was so modern when it opened. And then thinking that we'd never have a coast to coast motorway any time soon as the Athlone Bypass was a fraction of the length of the N4/N6

emfifty · 16-06-2010 11:19pm

drove the n6 athlone bypass last weekend. no change whatsoever.

is there a plan to upgrade?

what has happened the 7m euro allocation?:cool:

16-06-2010 11:25pm

According to the local papers, the upgrade works will be delayed until after the Galway races and a couple of other major events (don't remember which ones).

Some low-level prep works ongoing at the moment with occational lane closures.

billbond4 · 17-06-2010 10:48am

I think they will be starting the work in September/October, but they have to be finished it by Christmas time.
And also there will be other road works in Baylough at the same time.
And they are building the new roundabout and foothpaths at Supervalue, so traffic is going to be bad on the westside of the town this year.

JupiterKid · 18-06-2010 2:00am

What exactly will these upgrade works for the Athlone bypass entail exactly?

I presume a complete resurfacing will be done, but will there be any structural work such as widening, median upgrade or junction improvements?

Zubeneschamali · 18-06-2010 9:27am

JupiterKid wrote: »

will there be any structural work such as widening, median upgrade or junction improvements?

They just built a brand new junction at Junction 13 and it's rubbish, so it's unlikely that they are going to go out and fix all the other rubbish junctions.

billbond4 · 18-06-2010 2:49pm

Well they will have to spend 700k to move the fiber optics from the median to the edge of the bypass. so they have only 6.3million to spend.
I would say they will just resurface the whole bypass & slip roads, and maybe put a roundabout at the FAS exit

KevR · 18-06-2010 3:32pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

What exactly will these upgrade works for the Athlone bypass entail exactly?

I presume a complete resurfacing will be done, but will there be any structural work such as widening, median upgrade or junction improvements?

I think they're going to remove the hedges/grass from the median and have hard median strips rather than soft.

Amtmann · 18-06-2010 3:39pm

Presumably there will be some resurfacing and relining done too?

KevR · 18-06-2010 3:54pm

Yeah, I think it's getting a full resurface and line painting also.

18-06-2010 7:18pm

Well, they have to decide on the road classification before relining!

whyulittle · 23-06-2010 1:50pm

More in the local paper this week.

Waiting on the decision whether or not to move the cables from underneath the central median. Hoping to go to tender in August with a possible start date at end of September or October.

23-06-2010 2:46pm

whyulittle wrote: »

More in the local paper this week.

Waiting on the decision whether or not to move the cables from underneath the central median. Hoping to go to tender in August with a possible start date at end of September or October.

Talk about putting it on the long finger, you'd be almost thinking that they want to drag it out until the money allocated gets clawed back by central government! :eek:

Couldn't plan a píssup in a brewery. :rolleyes: :mad:

whyulittle · 23-06-2010 3:32pm

By the way, no mention of any junction upgrades.

"We intend to do the surface of the whole bypass and upgrading of the safety barrier...We're really trying to give it a facelift" said Project Engineer Michael Kelly.

The council want to move the cables (and pave the central median), but don't want to pay for it. Looking for extra funding/cable companies to pay.

flazio · 30-06-2010 11:18pm

They might start by filling 2 nasty potholes in the driving lane eastbound just after you drive over the shannon bridge.

01-07-2010 10:34am

flazio wrote: »

They might start by filling 2 nasty potholes in the driving lane eastbound just after you drive over the shannon bridge.

I usually "overtake" those, if I remember them!

Wild Bill · 05-07-2010 6:51pm

I´d reckon the bridge is wide enough to put two lanes of local road alongside the Motorway...that would solve the local traffic issue. No hard shoulders on the bridge....but what the heck? :cool:

D.L.R. · 05-07-2010 6:59pm

Wild Bill wrote: »

I´d reckon the bridge is wide enough to put two lanes of local road alongside the Motorway...that would solve the local traffic issue. No hard shoulders on the bridge....but what the heck? :cool:

What about barriers?

KevR · 05-07-2010 10:15pm

Are the two carriageways not on two seperate bridges? I don't know what effect that would have on extra lanes for local traffic..

veryangryman · 06-07-2010 9:03am

KevR wrote: »

Are the two carriageways not on two seperate bridges? I don't know what effect that would have on extra lanes for local traffic..

Lads..this is all very pie in the sky.

The bypass (especially the bridge) couldnt cope with an extra lane for local traffic, nor should it need to.

Bypass serves multiple purposes and for the most part, does them well. Its only when you compare to the M6 either side that it looks below par, but obviously a bypass on the busiest area on the D-G corridoor is going to be busier than the other sections.

I dont like messing with stuff that there is little inherently wrong with. A couple of more roundabouts on junctions would be the icing on the cake, but even then you dont get held up at any of them longer than 2-3 minutes anyway so hardly a big priority.

It reminds me of that simpsons episode with the Burlesque house when Otto says

"Quit bad mouthing the house! Leave the house alone"

L1011 · 09-07-2010 7:43pm

veryangryman wrote: »

but obviously a bypass on the busiest area on the D-G corridoor is going to be busier than the other sections.

Would the 'bypass on the busiest area on the D-G corridor" not be the Maynooth Bypass which runs behind my house?

Wild Bill · 11-07-2010 6:37pm

Nah. I'd reckon the Lucan bypass is busier!

whyulittle · 28-07-2010 11:52am

NRA expected to detail its plans for the bypass in September.

Proposed to use a similar surface as between Athlone and Ballinasloe to reduce noise. However, no barriers will be erected to shield houses from noise, particularly those between Junctions 10 &11.

veryangryman · 28-07-2010 2:09pm

MYOB wrote: »

Would the 'bypass on the busiest area on the D-G corridor" not be the Maynooth Bypass which runs behind my house?

Should have qualified my statement with "busiest outside the commuter belt"

Jayuu · 28-07-2010 2:12pm

Having just driven this section of road in the last few days it really shocked me how down-at-heel and overgrown it was, especially compared to the new roads on either side of it. Its badly in need of improvement.

A new road surface would be a start and some tidying back of the overgrown sections but surely they could do enough remedial works to upgrade this to motorway quality.

CerebralCortex · 28-07-2010 6:26pm

Jayuu wrote: »

Having just driven this section of road in the last few days it really shocked me how down-at-heel and overgrown it was, especially compared to the new roads on either side of it. Its badly in need of improvement.

A new road surface would be a start and some tidying back of the overgrown sections but surely they could do enough remedial works to upgrade this to motorway quality.

IIRC there's an entrance to an estate on to it :rolleyes: Am I wrong?

whyulittle · 28-07-2010 6:30pm

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Am I wrong?

Yes, you are.

whyulittle · 25-08-2010 3:21pm

Work now expected to start in October, and unlikely to be finished by Christmas.

Two way traffic is to be maintained, and no diversions are expected.

Work will include replacement of safety barriers, upgrade of the median including relocation of utility cables and work on pavement overlay.

Westmeath Co Co have been informed by Dept that it will not be upgraded to motorway in the "foreseeable future".

Article also says 30,000 vehicles a day use the bypass. Is it really that much?

KevR · 25-08-2010 3:44pm

whyulittle wrote: »

Article also says 30,000 vehicles a day use the bypass. Is it really that much?

It's usually more than 30,000 per day. Link

billbond4 · 27-08-2010 12:16pm

its still going have rolling one lane closures and fairly heavy traffic at peaks times during re-surfacing.
From the previous post
"Two way traffic is to be maintained, and no diversions are expected. "
It sounds like it wouldnt effect traffic (I wish)
---> Im going to get caught with more roadworks in Baylough which are starting in October, not to mention the new roundabout in front of River Village which work is only barely started on now.

whyulittle · 27-08-2010 12:30pm

Full article now online here.

billbond4 · 27-08-2010 2:37pm

"There will be some disruption but it will be minimal," yeah right, why do they bother saying things like that

27-08-2010 7:14pm

No mention of improving the junctions! I was hoping they would include installing mini roundabouts to improve traffic flow onto the link roads.

billbond4 · 30-08-2010 10:12am

I would say any junction improvements got shelved as they have to move the utility cables from the median to the side of the bypass

whyulittle · 08-09-2010 3:31pm

Athlone Bypass is not to get motorway designation, as it "would prohibit pedestrians and cyclists from using the road and also affect vehicles unable to maintain a speed of 50 km/h or more, such as agriculture vehicles especially those towing large trailers and machinary".

Stated in a letter from Noel Dempsey to Athlone Town Council.

Source: Westmeath Independent

veryangryman · 08-09-2010 3:35pm

whyulittle wrote: »

Athlone Bypass is not to get motorway designation, as it "would prohibit pedestrians and cyclists from using the road and also affect vehicles unable to maintain a speed of 50 km/h or more, such as agriculture vehicles especially those towing large trailers and machinary".

Stated in a letter from Noel Dempsey to Athlone Town Council.

Source: Westmeath Independent

Is there ANYTHING Dempsey says or does that doesnt p1ss people off. The man just has a gift...

08-09-2010 3:56pm

whyulittle wrote: »

Athlone Bypass is not to get motorway designation, as it "would prohibit pedestrians and cyclists from using the road and also affect vehicles unable to maintain a speed of 50 km/h or more, such as agriculture vehicles especially those towing large trailers and machinary".

Stated in a letter from Noel Dempsey to Athlone Town Council.

Source: Westmeath Independent

At the end of the day it makes sense for the tractors as they have no realistic alternative route, pedestrians and bikes should be banned!

oddiot · 08-09-2010 7:10pm

whyulittle wrote: »

Athlone Bypass is not to get motorway designation, as it "would prohibit pedestrians and cyclists from using the road and also affect vehicles unable to maintain a speed of 50 km/h or more, such as agriculture vehicles especially those towing large trailers and machinary".

Stated in a letter from Noel Dempsey to Athlone Town Council.

Source: Westmeath Independent

Ironically, a motorway designation hasn't stopped cyclists occasionally going onto some of the other sections of the M6!

Tech3 · 08-09-2010 7:13pm

oddiot wrote: »

Ironically, a motorway designation hasn't stopped cyclists occasionally going onto some of the other sections of the M6!

Yeah I'm seeing this alot lately aswell on all motorways around the country. Garda stopped one cyclist on the M18 a few days ago, about time.

NFD100 · 09-09-2010 8:46am

Quite right too. Cycling on a motorway is very dangerous. As is stopping. There is going to be an outcry when the first major fatality happens. Guards need to clamp down

KevR · 10-09-2010 12:27am

Deleted User wrote:

At the end of the day it makes sense for the tractors as they have no realistic alternative route, pedestrians and bikes should be banned!

A man (pedestrian) was killed near the Monksland junction a few months ago. Pedestrians and cyclists should be banned.

If they are not going to do something to ban pedestrians and cyclists, they should definitely put streetlighting along the whole bypass as part of this upgrade. It's a busy high-speed DC and it should be properly lit if pedestrians and cyclists are going to be on it (it's dark when people are travelling to/from work during the Winter months).

I wouldn't walk along the Athlone Bypass if you paid me!!

emfifty · 10-09-2010 5:24pm

veryangryman wrote: »

Is there ANYTHING Dempsey says or does that doesnt p1ss people off. The man just has a gift...

Well I was so pi**ed off with this decision I had to put finger to keyboard...:)

Dear Mr. Dempsey,

I am very disappointed to note the N6 bypass of Athlone is not being upgraded to Motorway status. The reasons given for not doing so are nothing short of ridiculous.
You have now made a serious mis-judgement and have promoted the continued use of the bypass by cyclists, pedestrians and tractors on a national inter-urban road.
This is highly dangerous and instead of promoting road safety you have indulged in more 'looking after the locals' instead of the strategic interests of the route.

The NRA have already put in place plans to upgrade the road. So your decision makes this upgrade meaningless.

The recent edition of the Westmeath Independent states 'all the councillors present at the meeting were delighted with the decision'. Why does this not surprise me.

Again you have made another decision in the local interest, not the national.

Fianna Fail's days are numbered.

Yours Sincerely,
xxxxxxxxx

whyulittle · 10-09-2010 5:52pm

You'd hope they'd at least upgrade the lighting to the same standard as all the other exits on the motorway, i.e. on approach, right through, and after the junction.

I was driving J10 to J11 the other night and the first light you see is actually on the offramp.

N6 - Athlone Bypass Upgrade works

Comments