M18 - Gort to Crusheen

glineli

lukejr wrote: »

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

I think if you are going southbound, they will put a temp road to the left that will allow them to realign the existing road etc. although thats just me guessing

glineli

Crusheen to Tubber road overpass open.

Tech3

ginoglineli wrote: »

Crusheen to Tubber road overpass open.

Excellent stuff, it was very close to opening 2 weeks ago when I passed. So in summary:

Overbridges opened to traffic:

• R460 overbridge
• Gort to Tubber Overbridge
• Shanaglish Overbridge
• Gortavoher Overbridge
• Crusheen to Tubber Overbridge

Out of 10 in total it's incredible progress.

glineli

Took a spin down to Lahadran overbridge the other day. They are working on laying base stone to the roads upto the bridge. I think this could be open in the next few weeks.

glineli

they were working on the crusheen interchange last night at 8.30, great to see!!!

Tech3

Excellent, these guys are going to plough on with this scheme now given that the evenings are starting to stretch out a bit further. I think the clocks are going to be moved forward in a few weeks too so we should be seeing Wills working away up to 9 every evening.

glineli have you looked at the Ballyline Overbrige recently? The embankment has progressed well when I looked at it last 3 weeks ago.

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

Excellent, these guys are going to plough on with this scheme now given that the evenings are starting to stretch out a bit further. I think the clocks are going to be moved forward in a few weeks too so we should be seeing Wills working away up to 9 every evening.

glineli have you looked at the Ballyline Overbrige recently? The embankment has progressed well when I looked at it last 3 weeks ago.

Yeah embankment looks well in place. I wonder are they going to work their way down, lets say from tubber road overbridge to Lahadran, Crusheen interchange and then Ballyline?

I think they are making most of the weather. Fair play to them!!!

KevR

Passed the Gort junction a few minutes ago for the first time in a few months. I know it has been said loads of times but the rate of progress really is staggering.

glineli

They have knocked the wall just outside Crusheen, on the ennis side for the new Ballyline to Dromore/Ruan road. I just drove down by Lahadran, still working on it, but i wouldnt be surprised to see it open before Easter. They have the groundworks completed on it and one layer down.

fresca

I'm aware that there is a discussion going on about litter on the roads around the country.
e.g.: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=64919792#post64919792

i drove tralee-galway at the weekend (march 13/14) and was really surprised with the amount of litter on the road between crusheen and oranmore.

i have noticed an increase in road side litter in recent months.

Tech3

Can anyone get near the Cragard overbridge this weekend, I reckon a temporary route is being created for the current N18 traffic this weekend.

*N18/CLARE* Works are in place on the N18 Galway/Limerick Rd, south of Crusheen until Sat morning (20th). Tonight works take place from 9pm until 7am Sat. Expect minor delays.

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

Can anyone get near the Cragard overbridge this weekend, I reckon a temporary route is being created for the current N18 traffic this weekend.

Where exactly is Cragard? i will try to get down later.

Chris_5339762

I passed through on Paddys day. Not much visable progress, only because all major earthworks seem to be done. There was a bad smashup on the narrow bit at Crusheen, someone had decided to investigate the hedge too closely.

Only one more bridge section to go in at the Ennis bypass tie-in. Soon after that I reckon traffic will be diverted through Barefield, over the new bridge and onto the current road so the tie-in can be done painlessly.

glineli

ginoglineli wrote: »

Where exactly is Cragard? i will try to get down later.

Scratch that, i know where it is now. I will be going into Ennis in the morning so will take a good long look

serfboard

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Only one more bridge section to go in at the Ennis bypass tie-in. Soon after that I reckon traffic will be diverted through Barefield, over the new bridge and onto the current road so the tie-in can be done painlessly.

I was wondering how they were going to do this, but your guess seems to be the most logical, captain.

glineli

I drove past today and didnt see any changes at all.

Ascii

ginoglineli wrote: »

Where exactly is Cragard? i will try to get down later.

Cragard is the townland where the existing ennis D/C will meet with the new n18 currently under construction.

glineli

I went home last night via Tubber and it looks like there is top level surface as far as the tubber - crusheen fly over, just on the southbound lanes.

Anyone got any idea how much tar they can lay in a day?

Any updated predictions on when this will be open?

black47

glineli wrote: »

I went home last night via Tubber and it looks like there is top level surface as far as the tubber - crusheen fly over, just on the southbound lanes.

Anyone got any idea how much tar they can lay in a day?

Any updated predictions on when this will be open?

Has this top surface been laid in it's entirety from Gort to this point? If so it would tie in with Wills 3 month look ahead in their last newletter

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

Remarkable progress. Summer opening surely.

glineli

it does look like the top layer before the asphalt macadam has been laid all the way from gort to at least the tubber - crusheen overbridge, if not further.

Heres hoping for a summer opening alright!!!!

Tech3

I will have a look at the scheme in the next few weeks, excellent that CBM has extended all the way to the tubber to crusheen overbridge. Any change on the Lahardan, Ballyline and Curraderra overbridges?

Amtmann

Asphalt was probably laid a day or two after the CBM went down, so it's probably a good bet to say that much of the scheme has probably received the first course of asphalt. After that the second course and the concrete barrier shouldn't be too far behind at all.

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

I will have a look at the scheme in the next few weeks, excellent that CBM has extended all the way to the tubber to crusheen overbridge. Any change on the Lahardan, Ballyline and Curraderra overbridges?

No change on those yet, i will take a look over the weekend again.

glineli

CBM has been laid as far as Lahardan. The overbridge has Asphalt down and they are putting up the support barriers.

Talking to someone working on it at the shop in Crusheen, they said the aim is the week before the races.

black47

glineli wrote: »

CBM has been laid as far as Lahardan. The overbridge has Asphalt down and they are putting up the support barriers.

Talking to someone working on it at the shop in Crusheen, they said the aim is the week before the races.

So it's potentially 21 months to build the scheme as described below.

'22 km of dual carriageway, 10 km of realigned local roads and 12 km of accommodation access tracks.There are 14 new bridges, a grade-separated junction and an at grade roundabout junction'

This scheme has been a flag ship project for road building in Ireland. Siac/Wills JV rule!

Tech3

glineli wrote: »

CBM has been laid as far as Lahardan. The overbridge has Asphalt down and they are putting up the support barriers.

Talking to someone working on it at the shop in Crusheen, they said the aim is the week before the races.

As far as Lahardan :eek: Some progress in just under 2 months since I last saw a little bit of CBM under the R460 overbridge. The Lahardan overbridge looks like a good spot to take a perfect shot of the LILO at Crusheen when the road is near completion. Great updates glineli. I will try and take a few pictures of the scheme in 2 weeks

Chris_5339762

glineli wrote: »

CBM has been laid as far as Lahardan. The overbridge has Asphalt down and they are putting up the support barriers.

Talking to someone working on it at the shop in Crusheen, they said the aim is the week before the races.

That news makes me very happy

rainbowdash

In fairnes, most of this scheme skirts the burren, so its just a case of levelling the porous rock and putting a layer of tar on it.

Ok, I know thats a bit simplistic but the terrain must be advantageous to quick works.

glineli

It looks like there is some sort of silo erected on the ennis side of crusheen. Could this be for laying asphalt?

trepasers

glineli wrote: »

It looks like there is some sort of silo erected on the ennis side of crusheen. Could this be for laying asphalt?

No its actually for mixing concrete......before the tar is laid a layer of concrete is poured first......works out cheaper than using just a layer of tar.