M18 - Gort to Crusheen

Amtmann

trepasers wrote: »

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.

Concrete isn`t "poured" in this case -- more likely it is CBGM (cement-bound granular material), which then subsequently hardens.

black47

Interesting overview, if you can get over the cheesy music

http://vimeo.com/10241643

glineli

Asphalt laid southbound now as far as Lahardan. The overbridge looks 90% complete with just a small bit of barrier work remaining.

Tech3

black47 wrote: »

Interesting overview, if you can get over the cheesy music

http://vimeo.com/10241643

Nice photos, last one is the Curraderra overbridge some work still to do on it. Generally looks good to be finished for summer. I wonder when work will be carried out a Cragard though.

Ascii

glineli wrote: »

Asphalt laid southbound now as far as Lahardan. The overbridge looks 90% complete with just a small bit of barrier work remaining.

There is no Asphalt laid at Lahardan yet. They have only done North of the Moyree river (Gortavoher). This week they started laying CBM at Lahardan bridge heading North on the RHS. Lahardan overbridge opened this evening. Only four left to open (Rathwilladoon, Cragard (x2) & Bearnafunshin. Work is also well under on the interchange at Gort. Really taking shape.

Tech3

Will have a look at the scheme in the coming days and the opened Lahardan overbridge. It sounds like the stretch has really progressed since I last took photos of the route.

glineli

Ascii wrote: »

There is no Asphalt laid at Lahardan yet. They have only done North of the Moyree river (Gortavoher). This week they started laying CBM at Lahardan bridge heading North on the RHS. Lahardan overbridge opened this evening. Only four left to open (Rathwilladoon, Cragard (x2) & Bearnafunshin. Work is also well under on the interchange at Gort. Really taking shape.

My apologies, i am only a novice road builder I confused CBM and asphalt.

Yes Gort interchange looks like it will be taking shape in the next few weeks.

Chris_5339762

Its a nice day someone get out there with a camera

Tech3

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Its a nice day someone get out there with a camera

I did indeed, just uploading a few pics there now. Ballyline overbridge is very close to completion another 3-4 weeks I reckon if Wills are anything to go by.

Tech3

I passed the scheme yesterday and given what a great morning it was took a few pics. Cragard hasnt change much since I passed over a month ago.



Lahardan overbridge is opened as previously mentioned.


Looking south from Lahardan overbridge, the Crusheen LILO in the distance.


Looking north from the Lahardan overbridge, some CBM layed on the southbound carriageway.



The Tubber-Crusheen overbridge which opened 2 months ago.


Looking south


Looking north, as you can see the CBM is varied and not layed all the way on the southbound carriageway


Looking south from Gortavoher Overbridge


Looking north

Tech3

This is where were starting to see real progress on from Shanaglish overbridge towards the Gort interchange.

Here is a view of the mainline from the Shanaglish overbridge north


Looking south


Looking south from the Gort-Tubber overbridge and look whats in the distance on the RHS


Looking north from the same overbridge


The mainline below the R460 looking north towards the Gort interchange


Looking south from the R460 overbridge



This is the end of the scheme. It's a local road just after the Gort interchange. It looks a though there will be no structure here instead there is a new local road being built off the second RAB on the gort junction to provide local access.

The Gort interchange


And.......... look whats here a dead end pending on the next scheme to go to construction (Gort-Tuam PPP). Some of it will be used for northbound traffic to get onto the RAB via the LILO.

Sponge Bob

I am doubling up on my October prediction Chris and handing you the doubling dice

Tech3

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I am doubling up on my October prediction Chris and handing you the doubling dice

Given that there is only 3-4 structures left to complete and no tie in work at the Gort end then it should be done easily before then. I'm not a betting man but I would say it wont be done for July probably late August. If it does get done before races 2010 then I think Chris deserves a pint from all boardsies that challenged his prediction!:D

Roryhy

Hey Tech2, whats in the distance on the right hand side? i dont get it?

Tech3

Just the Asphalt plant in the background, cant believe how fast progress on this scheme is going now! Wonder how long a journey from Galway-Limerick will be when we wont have to drive through the bumpy streets of Gort? Under an hour surely with the Limerick Tunnel as well.

fresca

once gort-crusheen and tunnel are complete you should comfortably do city centre to city centre in 1 hour.

tech2 wrote: »

Just the Asphalt plant in the background, cant believe how fast progress on this scheme is going now! Wonder how long a journey from Galway-Limerick will be when we wont have to drive through the bumpy streets of Gort? Under an hour surely with the Limerick Tunnel as well.

Deedsie

And what about the section from Gort on to Oranmore? What stage is that at? Galway to Limerick in an hour would be brilliant.

fresca

Deedsie wrote: »

And what about the section from Gort on to Oranmore? What stage is that at? Galway to Limerick in an hour would be brilliant.

this is effectively part of the gort-tuam scheme.
at the moment, it is not the slowest section of the limerick-galway road.

ki

I hate Kilcolgan to just passed Claregalway, there is no clear road to drive, your in and out of 50kph zones, round abouts or traffic lights for 20km, but it feels more like 40km.

It takes 30 min, no matter when you drive this section

glineli

Clarinbridge is becoming the next big bottle, espically on a friday evening.

I am not sure of an 1hr trip from city to city, i think that might be pushing it, maybe Caherdavin to Renmore and dependent on what time of the day you do it.

CerebralCortex

ki wrote: »

I hate Kilcolgan to just passed Claregalway, there is no clear road to drive, your in and out of 50kph zones, round abouts or traffic lights for 20km, but it feels more like 40km.

It takes 30 min, no matter when you drive this section

Rural roads realistically speaking.

Chris_5339762

Getting Gort out of the way will be a huge bonus though. Clarinbridge will always be jammed from the north, but not really from the south.

The roundabouts at the Gort junction and the occasional 50 zones north of that will filter traffic once this section is open. I dont think the completion of Crusheen - Gort will 'generate' a bottleneck further north.

glineli

Will the existing end of the M18 at Shannon be extended south into Limerick once the tunnel is open? My understanding was it cant due to houses being built with exits onto the road.

Chris_5339762

Yeah from Shannon - Limerick is littered with local access and bad junction. It is also far too bendy to be 120kmh motorway. The whole section would need a complete rebuild.

Deedsie

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Yeah from Shannon - Limerick is littered with local access and bad junction. It is also far too bendy to be 120kmh motorway. The whole section would need a complete rebuild.

So the 120 will be reduced to 100 at shannon all the way to limerick and when will it go back to 120? Far side of the tunnel?

Zoney

glineli wrote: »

Will the existing end of the M18 at Shannon be extended south into Limerick once the tunnel is open? My understanding was it cant due to houses being built with exits onto the road.

Pretty much. It's not impossible if there was a will and money to put into it, but it is hard to see how/why that would happen. It would need a fair bit of parallel access and new links from Bunratty/Setrights to existing R roads and Hurler's Cross as well as the Old Cratloe Road, which in turn would need linked to the Ennis Road near the Coonagh Rbout or SRR junction.

Deedsie wrote: »

So the 120 will be reduced to 100 at shannon all the way to limerick and when will it go back to 120? Far side of the tunnel?

120 from Rosbrien where the M7 and M20 start.

Paul_D

havent read much of the topic, but what is the realistic opening date for this section?
I'll have to commute Waterford-Galway once a week starting in autumn and this motorway would help a lot.
Also are there any ideas when the Limireck tunnel will be open? and I presume it's going to be tolled?

ki

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Rural roads realistically speaking.

Yeah but with high volumes as well

fresca

Paul_D wrote: »

havent read much of the topic, but what is the realistic opening date for this section?
I'll have to commute Waterford-Galway once a week starting in autumn and this motorway would help a lot.
Also are there any ideas when the Limireck tunnel will be open? and I presume it's going to be tolled?

tunnel should open in june (hopefully) - yes it wil be tolled. (e1.90 for a car).

topper75

Any hope that they might open the road between say Ballyline and Gort first (I see from photos here that a lot of asphalt is down), and then concentrate on the Ennis bypass tie in separately?

Or is there an obligation to finish the entire thing before cars travel on it?

Also, does dry weather help speed up construction effort, or is it irrelevant?