M18 - Gort to Crusheen

serfboard

clon wrote: »

Found this link to newsletter for crusheen to gort M18 scheme on the galway county council roads website, this is taken from last Nov. 09.Really shows the progress in one year.

http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/RoadsTransportation/RoadProjects/n18_new/news/SWJV%20N18%20G-C%20Newsletter%20-%20Dec%2009,%20Issue%203.pdf

Well spotted. Some good aerial photos there. 2 things that were new to me.

1. The road seems to go well beyond the GSJ at Gort. I would have thought that they would have just finished it at the GSJ (plus say, 200 metres) like they have done on other projects.

2. I didn't know until I saw the photo that the junction at Crusheen is LILO.

Tech3

serfboard wrote: »

Coming from Gort onto roundabout 2, you'll have a load of traffic coming south from the existing N18 onto the M18, meaning you won't be able to get onto the roundabout at all! (OK, slight exaggeration, but it will be difficult at peak times).

There should be little traffic on roundabout 2 as it's only for people getting off the M18 at the Gort interchange. Plus were talking about a town of 2,000 people. The mainline runs on for about 1km north of the interchange. I agree that if the N18 south was running directly onto the rounabout it would be very busy at rush hour.

BTW Good spot on the LILO at Crusheen, a f**king disgrace seriously :mad:

The newsletter is actually very good and gives the overbridges that I have mentioned that are opened to traffic and good to know the gort-tubber and tubber-crusheen ones are opening soon.

Chris_5339762

Again, only about 10 cars a day are going to use the Crusheen junction, so a LILO is perfectly fine

I dunno why the build goes so far along beyond the Gort GSJ, I assumed it was a place to store equipment or something.

Tech3

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I dunno why the build goes so far along beyond the Gort GSJ, I assumed it was a place to store equipment or something.

I assume it's to make sure the motorway starts a couple of hundred meters before arriving at the on ramp south for the Gort GSJ and giving plenty of space merging off the ramp north before hitting S2 further on.

It was obvious enough from early 09 that it was going to be extended out a bit further from the GSJ. I took this photo in May last year from the northern side of the Gort interchange.

serfboard

tech2 wrote: »

There should be little traffic on roundabout 2 as it's only for people getting off the M18 at the Gort interchange. Plus were talking about a town of 2,000 people. The mainline runs on for about 1km north of the interchange. I agree that if the N18 south was running directly onto the rounabout it would be very busy at rush hour.

But is it not the case that the N18 south will run directly onto the roundabout? If not, what is to be the layout? I can't see it from either the NRA map or from the Galway County Council website. (The interactive map on the Galway County Council website shows the original proposed junction which was not a GSJ at all, but an at-grade roundabout).

spacetweek

tech2 wrote: »

Added some photos to the M18 page on facebook and wikipedia of the progess from January

Facebook

It has its own Facebook page? *boggle*

Tech3

serfboard wrote: »

But is it not the case that the N18 south will run directly onto the roundabout? If not, what is to be the layout? I can't see it from either the NRA map or from the Galway County Council website. (The interactive map on the Galway County Council website shows the original proposed junction which was not a GSJ at all, but an at-grade roundabout).

At the moment it's unclear as there is no map to show what is being done at this interchange. But my assumption is that the scheme will be (and looks to be) extended futher out with dual carriageway to make sure the standard single carrigeway does not run directly onto the southbound and northbound ramps otherwise it will be a traffic jam like you mentioned previously for the future R458 northbound traffic. It would be shortsighted not to extend the dc out futher.

I will email the NRA to see what the plan is for the tie in with the N18 north of Gort.

Tech3

spacetweek wrote: »

It has its own Facebook page? *boggle*

It started from a discussion on this page

Here is the M8 motorway page

Sponge Bob

spacetweek wrote: »

It has its own Facebook page? *boggle*

Holy Phuck :eek: Do people make 'friends' with road construction projects nowadays :eek:

The WRC needs one of dem lads Must see to it.

Amtmann

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Do people make 'friends' with road construction projects nowadays :eek:

I'm very surprised that you're surprised by that, given you've over 12,000 posts and are well and truly an internet aficionado!

Sponge Bob

I don't have a facebook account mainly because I refuse to have one

Tech3

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Holy Phuck :eek: Do people make 'friends' with road construction projects nowadays :eek:

No it's an option to become a "fan"! The M18 page is gathering a good following at this early stage.

Tech3

February Updates:

Overbridges:
The Tubber to Gort overbridge is finally open to traffic although one lane is operation over the bridge with traffic lights.







The Tubber-Crusheen overbridge is very near completion, I'd hazard a guess of it opening to traffic next week.

Mainline M18:
2 below from the R460 overbridge




2 below from the Gortavoher overbridge

Tech3

Hi folks I got this back from the NRA re the Gort interchange

Dear Mr. XXXX,

Thank you for your email.

I attach a sketch that outlines the proposed traffic arrangements during the interim period between the completion of the M18 Gort to Crusheen and the completion of N17 N18 Gort to Tuam PPP scheme.


The end of the M18 Gort to Crusheen scheme was selected so that the full extent of the Gort Junction could be constructed before traffic is allowed to use the road and to ensure minimal disruption to traffic by only having to remove traffic management elements when opening up the junction fully when the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam PPP Scheme is constructed.



Regards,

From looking at the map all traffic will have to access the east roundabout so traffic may be congested for Gort exiting. Also it looks like we will have a small stretch of completed motorway unused for 3 years!

Chris_5339762

Looks like this will be a unique junction - one side LILOs the other side full slips

serfboard

tech2 wrote: »

From looking at the map all traffic will have to access the east roundabout so traffic may be congested for Gort exiting.

As originally predicted by Sponge Bob, and echoed by myself, N18 Southbound traffic is going to block Gort traffic going either Northbound or Southbound.

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Looks like this will be a unique junction - one side LILOs the other side full slips

Indeed. Apart from cost, anyone know why they didn't build full slips on both sides? I actually thought that's what they were building.

One more thing - it's a pity they couldn't have gone the extra mile (or two) and connected up the N66 with this junction. Money again, or did they not think of it?

fresca

Roryhy wrote: »

I thought it was being proceeded as 1 project?

Yes it is.
I would expect though that the Gort-Rathmorrisey section will have priority and therefore could be opened earlier than the entire gort-tuam scheme.
This would assist in easing the traffic flow on the remaining n18.

Cosmo K

On the facebook page it says......The next section, from Gort to Crusheen, is 22km long and is due to open in July 2010.....is July 2010 now the official opening date? Just curios, as I drive from Kinvara to Ennis every day.

fresca

Cosmo K wrote: »

On the facebook page it says......The next section, from Gort to Crusheen, is 22km long and is due to open in July 2010.....is July 2010 now the official opening date? Just curios, as I drive from Kinvara to Ennis every day.

This thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055806437 lists M18 gort-crusheen as opening Q2 2011 (as per NRA site).

The earliest date on this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055681234 suggests august 2010.

maybe those 2 threads should be merged?

Tech3

Cosmo K wrote: »

On the facebook page it says......The next section, from Gort to Crusheen, is 22km long and is due to open in July 2010.....is July 2010 now the official opening date? Just curios, as I drive from Kinvara to Ennis every day.

No but the contractors have hinted that a summer opening is likely. Judging by progress on the road at the minute they might even finish it before then probably June. CBM is starting to go down on the stretch. There is 5 overbridges now open to traffic and the rest bar 1 just need embankment done and slight road realignment. Only one overbridge on the scheme at Rathwilladoon is unadvanced.

Chris_5339762

I'm the one that said "By Galway Races 2010" for the opening of this, purely because its a good target to aim for. It seems to be taken as gospel truth on here recently, despite the fact that its a pure guess.

Sponge Bob

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I'm the one that said "By Galway Races 2010" for the opening of this, purely because its a good target to aim for. It seems to be taken as gospel truth on here recently, despite the fact that its a pure guess.

I will repeat what I already said about your prediction , You are a brave man Nobody else made any prediction that I can recall and of course I carefully avoided making any prediction myself.....until now

My prediction on an opening date is the second half of October 2010.

black47

Inside info?

Amtmann

The CBM is the slowest part of the paving process. Asphalt goes down very quickly indeed. If it is all CBMed by April, it could definitely open in summer.

Tech3

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I will repeat what I already said about your prediction , You are a brave man Nobody else made any prediction that I can recall and of course I carefully avoided making any prediction myself.....until now

My prediction on an opening date is the second half of October 2010.

Yeah twas a good prediction by Chris. I originally went for a conservative date in September but it will be well finished before then.

Tech3

I am changing the title of this thread to Gort to Crusheen as most of it is practically about this scheme. All Gort to Tuam posts will be moved to that thread. Also there will be a M18 thread for completed sections created soon for redesignation posts and various others relating to the N18/M18

So can we just discuss the Gort-Crusheen scheme from now on in this thread, thanks.

Edit: ..... and yes it may take a while to get this thread in order so be patient folks to those of you who like to read each thread through from start to finish.

Tech3

There is some serious work going on now at the tie in with the Ennis bypass. The concrete median has been broke to all northbound traffic onto the original southbound carrigeway. Wills have put the concrete barrier up as far as the Cragard overbridge on the new alignment.

yermanoffthetv

tech2 wrote: »

There is some serious work going on now at the tie in with the Ennis bypass. The concrete median has been broke to all northbound traffic onto the original southbound carrigeway. Wills have put the concrete barrier up as far as the Cragard overbridge on the new alignment.

Yea was coming back that way about 6:30pm and could see the trucks still workin away at it. The Gort interchange looks very far along aswell. From what I seen Id say a summer opening time seems fairly reasonable.

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

There is some serious work going on now at the tie in with the Ennis bypass. The concrete median has been broke to all northbound traffic onto the original southbound carrigeway. Wills have put the concrete barrier up as far as the Cragard overbridge on the new alignment.

i wonder how will they work around the ennis tie in, as in where will traffic go on a temporary basis while they get the fly over ready? they are working saturdays on this aswell.

lukejr

ginoglineli wrote: »

i wonder how will they work around the ennis tie in, as in where will traffic go on a temporary basis while they get the fly over ready? they are working saturdays on this aswell.

I was thinking that too when I drove past last week. The bridge that is being built will be the old N18 route when new M18 motorway opens. I'm guessing there will be a temp road built very soon linking the old N18 road to the Ennis bypass.

Had a look at the documents for the road but didn't help much with explaining: http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/RoadsTransportation/RoadProjects/n18_new/N18.pdf