M18 - Gort to Crusheen

glineli · 29-09-2010 4:45pm

topper75 wrote: »

OK - I had better be honest and say that I am just guessing like yourselves. I think you guys are overly optimistic because tech2's photos show:
some surfacing still required

lots of side fencing to do

line painting and cats eyes to do

tie in works at Barefield still to do

stuff besides we don't know about e.g. lighting, cables, whatever

Progress has been slow of late. My experience watching other schemes such as the Limerick tunnel and the Ennis bypass mean that though things seem almost done to the layman's eye, things often get slow towards the end.

On the upside - it'll make a nice Christmas present for all of us to look forward to!:)

A lot of line painting and cats eyes work done on the northbound lane.

Also interesting to note, they have plugged the hole in the wall at the Gort to Tubber overpass, at the tarmac factory

summer11 · 29-09-2010 6:27pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd be inclined to agree. I remeber when the M6 Galway to Ballinasloe was completed and therewas still another 6 weeks of a wait for safetu testing or something like that

If the same occurs here it could well be mid-dec before it opens

No Toll Booths or European Tunnel safety directives on this one though.

There should be less red tape here...

29-09-2010 10:47pm

I sure hope so, the sooner this opens the better. I just don't want to get my hopes up about an Oct opening

Amtmann · 03-10-2010 6:39pm

Probably nothing that hasn't already been posted here already, but three photos of the scheme today:

Taken a few kilometres north of the northern terminus of the M18 Ennis Bypass, looking south:

M18 mainline, looking north, from same vantage point as above:

The Crusheen junction, looking north:

-Corkie- · 03-10-2010 6:41pm

I hope you get good travelling expenses lad....:D:D

Carawaystick · 03-10-2010 10:57pm

That's a lilo or very close to it in those pics furet, seems poor to be building certain motorways to a low std.

KevR · 03-10-2010 11:11pm

That LILO appears to be a lot more high-powered than the LILOs which are already open on the M18 (and also the ones on the Athlone BP). The bends on the LILO in that picture are nowhere near as sharp and the acceleration/deceleration lanes are longer than on the other LILOs.

Imagineer · 07-10-2010 12:05pm

This is an excerpt from a mail sent from a member of Galway CoCo on Set. 7th. It clears up how the bypass will be tied into the existing Ennis bypass. Hope it sheds some light for you all...

"Yes, things have moved along at a good steady pace since we’ve been in touch. Unfortunately, the rainfall over the last few days has brought practically everything to a halt, apart from erecting some fencing and gates. The problem with the rain is that the final wearing course can’t be laid in the wet or if the weather gets too cold. Obviously, we don’t have any temperature worries yet but the recent rain is a problem. Hopefully, we won’t be seeing a repeat of last year and the excessive rainfall.

The best estimate for opening looks like the end of October, maybe even the second last week. The final traffic management program will be to tie in the motorway with the Ennis bypass at the southern end. While this is going ahead, the existing N18 traffic will be diverted over the new bridge to Barefield and traffic will be going through Barefield village. The Contractor will only be allowed to do this for two weeks. There is a school and crèche on this road and so a lot of children on the road in the middle of a lot of traffic. Not an ideal scenario but not a whole lot we can do about it. Anyway, when you see this traffic management plan being put in place, you will know that the new road will open two weeks after that. Because when the roads are tied in, there won’t be any option but to open the road as the traffic won’t be allowed go through Barefield.

Having said all that, if the weather really turns against us, the Contractor will be forced to apply for an extension of time on the two weeks allowed but I would expect that we will see the road open shortly after that and I couldn’t see it still not opened by end if November. Then again, if we get rainfall like we did last year, you just don’t know. But let’s keep positive about it".

cremeegg · 07-10-2010 12:24pm

Imagineer wrote: »

This is an excerpt from a mail sent from a member of Galway CoCo on Set. 7th. It clears up how the bypass will be tied into the existing Ennis bypass. Hope it sheds some light for you all...

"Yes, things have moved along at a good steady pace since we’ve been in touch. Unfortunately, the rainfall over the last few days has brought practically everything to a halt, apart from erecting some fencing and gates. The problem with the rain is that the final wearing course can’t be laid in the wet or if the weather gets too cold. Obviously, we don’t have any temperature worries yet but the recent rain is a problem. Hopefully, we won’t be seeing a repeat of last year and the excessive rainfall.

The best estimate for opening looks like the end of October, maybe even the second last week. The final traffic management program will be to tie in the motorway with the Ennis bypass at the southern end. While this is going ahead, the existing N18 traffic will be diverted over the new bridge to Barefield and traffic will be going through Barefield village. The Contractor will only be allowed to do this for two weeks. There is a school and crèche on this road and so a lot of children on the road in the middle of a lot of traffic. Not an ideal scenario but not a whole lot we can do about it. Anyway, when you see this traffic management plan being put in place, you will know that the new road will open two weeks after that. Because when the roads are tied in, there won’t be any option but to open the road as the traffic won’t be allowed go through Barefield.

Having said all that, if the weather really turns against us, the Contractor will be forced to apply for an extension of time on the two weeks allowed but I would expect that we will see the road open shortly after that and I couldn’t see it still not opened by end if November. Then again, if we get rainfall like we did last year, you just don’t know. But let’s keep positive about it".

CLASS thanks.. right with the indian summer being promised.. weather expected to pick up significantly over next week.. i predicting we will be going through barefield in 3 weeks times and raod opened 2 weeks after that... novemeber 1st!!

black47 · 07-10-2010 12:30pm

cremeegg wrote: »

CLASS thanks.. right with the indian summer being promised.. weather expected to pick up significantly over next week.. i predicting we will be going through barefield in 3 weeks times and raod opened 2 weeks after that... novemeber 1st!!

Can everyone keep their eyese peeled for any announcement on the road diversion into Barefield. Heading to the west on Bank holiday weekend. Would be great if this scheme was open by then.

Imagineer · 07-10-2010 1:03pm

I imagine it's gonna be chaotic at peak hours while the diversion is in place but at the same time it'll probably be more pleasant than driving through the "off road" circuit that is Gort.

On the subject of Gort, what are the plans around resurfacing the town? I'd heard that money was made available a while ago but the Galway CoCo. chose to leave it slide until the bypass was complete.

urranger · 07-10-2010 2:43pm

Just checked AA route planner from Galway to Limerick and it puts me on the M18 at Gort

serfboard · 07-10-2010 3:49pm

Imagineer wrote: »

On the subject of Gort, what are the plans around resurfacing the town? I'd heard that money was made available a while ago but the Galway CoCo. chose to leave it slide until the bypass was complete.

Keith Finnegan on Galway Bay FM this morning reported that the Chief Executive of Medtronic is to visit Galway soon - flying in to Shannon. Apparently he's going to be taken to Galway via the unopened part of the M18 so that he won't have to see the state that Gort is in! (Seems that they can allow this to happen by classing his use of the M18 as a "site visit").

Also on the programme he said that the county manager Martina Maloney is committed to providing funding to upgrade Gort once the bypass is complete.

Which seems sensible to me.

Sponge Bob · 07-10-2010 4:04pm

If yer man drove the old road Barefield-Gort route he could end up pulling Medtronic (and related) 2,000 jobs out of Galway and send them somewhere with roads instead, eg Bangladesh

I suppose he flies out of Dublin then does he ??

07-10-2010 4:06pm

serfboard wrote: »

Keith Finnegan on Galway Bay FM this morning reported that the Chief Executive of Medtronic is to visit Galway soon - flying in to Shannon. Apparently he's going to be taken to Galway via the unopened part of the M18 so that he won't have to see the state that Gort is in! (Seems that they can allow this to happen by classing his use of the M18 as a "site visit").

Also on the programme he said that the county manager Martina Maloney is committed to providing funding to upgrade Gort once the bypass is complete.

Which seems sensible to me.

Why would he sit in a car for 1-2 hrs when he could fly up in 20? These guys are on massiuve money and they pay the extra to get places faster. I highly doubt he will be going up the M18

cremeegg · 07-10-2010 4:24pm

ya if hes that important he should helicopter from shannon...

meanwhile Cremeegg has to still use the off road track that is gort....:rolleyes:

topper75 · 07-10-2010 4:48pm

Do Medtronic ship product out through Shannon? If so, I have no problem with a valid 'site' visit. These roads are the only worthwhile legacy of the 'boom'. We need to convince investors that the west of the island is a place to do business. Shannon airport will be under 1 hour for an artic lorry from Galway soon enough. We should offer same royal tour to any CEO with investment capability.

ohnoigotsick · 07-10-2010 7:10pm

topper75 wrote: »

Do Medtronic ship product out through Shannon? If so, I have no problem with a valid 'site' visit. These roads are the only worthwhile legacy of the 'boom'. We need to convince investors that the west of the island is a place to do business. Shannon airport will be under 1 hour for an artic lorry from Galway soon enough. We should offer same royal tour to any CEO with investment capability.

i think its in our interest to show these guys that infrastructure is improving. yes they could fly helicopters up to galway but that'd be a waste of money in the current climate.

Tech3 · 07-10-2010 7:15pm

M18 entry Signage up at Crusheen roundabout. Also exit signs on the motorway for Crusheen junction.

Ascii · 07-10-2010 8:20pm

serfboard wrote: »

Keith Finnegan on Galway Bay FM this morning reported that the Chief Executive of Medtronic is to visit Galway soon - flying in to Shannon. Apparently he's going to be taken to Galway via the unopened part of the M18 so that he won't have to see the state that Gort is in! (Seems that they can allow this to happen by classing his use of the M18 as a "site visit").

.

Wonder who leaked the story... Seems like something that was supposed to be very hush hush.

Sponge Bob · 07-10-2010 8:35pm

Ascii wrote: »

Wonder who leaked the story... Seems like something that was supposed to be very hush hush.

They opened either the m2 or m3 early to get an EU commissioner back to brussels, via the airport, sharpish. It is not entirely unusual.

Carawaystick · 07-10-2010 11:50pm

They opened the M6 to allow people get into and out of Galway.... These things happen

topper75 · 11-10-2010 10:43am

Final surface going on Gort roundabout. Stop and Go system in place.

black47 · 11-10-2010 10:58am

topper75 wrote: »

Final surface going on Gort roundabout. Stop and Go system in place.

When is this Chief Executive of Medtronic visiting I wonder? If he can be given access to the bypass, surely the opening will follow soon after

Benbecul97 · 11-10-2010 11:48am

Construction works on the Gort-Crusheen bypass will reach another crucial stage today, as works to join the road with the Ennis bypass begin

From Monday, the N18 will be closed from it's junction with the L 81221 in the townland of Cragard for a distance of 2,200m to the Barefield Interchange (Junction 14).

Clare COunty Council have brought in the change, to facilitate the construction of Gort-Crusheen bypass.

From today, motorists travelling south towards Ennis will Turn off at new flyover via R458 through Barefield.

Meanwhile, those travelling in the opposite direction Turn off at Barefield Interchange Junction 14 via R458 through Barefield.

The diversions are scheduled to remain in place until Sunday November 7th, and diversions wil be sign-posted

http://www.clare.fm/news/motorists-advised-n18-changes-bypass-works-continue

ki · 11-10-2010 11:52am

Benbecul97 wrote: »

The diversions are scheduled to remain in place until Sunday November 7th, and diversions wil be sign-posted

http://www.clare.fm/news/motorists-advised-n18-changes-bypass-works-continue

Is this our approx. opening date?

glineli · 11-10-2010 12:07pm

Benbecul97 wrote: »

Construction works on the Gort-Crusheen bypass will reach another crucial stage today, as works to join the road with the Ennis bypass begin

From Monday, the N18 will be closed from it's junction with the L 81221 in the townland of Cragard for a distance of 2,200m to the Barefield Interchange (Junction 14).

Clare COunty Council have brought in the change, to facilitate the construction of Gort-Crusheen bypass.

From today, motorists travelling south towards Ennis will Turn off at new flyover via R458 through Barefield.

Meanwhile, those travelling in the opposite direction Turn off at Barefield Interchange Junction 14 via R458 through Barefield.

The diversions are scheduled to remain in place until Sunday November 7th, and diversions wil be sign-posted

http://www.clare.fm/news/motorists-advised-n18-changes-bypass-works-continue

I noticed a few cars last night driving on the new overpass at the ennis tie in so i was hopeful of it opening soon. This is great news. Now if only the Gort - Tuam section was sorted out!!

topper75 · 11-10-2010 1:05pm

A month for the tie-in seems more realistic than the two-week window that was referred to earlier. Here's hoping that it will be all systems go on the 7th Nov.

Grand dry weather at the moment and that has to be a huge help for the remaining surfacing work at the tie ins. They'll have done it inside two years. Good work ethic.

marmurr1916 · 11-10-2010 1:11pm

ki wrote: »

Is this our approx. opening date?

Hopefully. Do ministers open roads on Sundays?

ki · 11-10-2010 3:25pm

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Hopefully. Do ministers open roads on Sundays?

If they get your vote!

and expenses, all 2.3 Million

M18 - Gort to Crusheen

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