M18 - Gort to Crusheen

Ascii

glineli wrote: »

Ascii, any idea when they will be starting work on the with M18 tie in? And what will the diversion be when that is happening?

From what I hear, Starting Monday work is to commence on the Ardrahan side of the new roundabout. The right hand lane and stone wall on the RHS as you drive into Gort will be excavated and removed. This will allow them to place the road foundation, divert any services, and start the work on the gullies, drainage pipes and kerbs.

serfboard

Ascii wrote: »

“ all the towns on the M6 have two exits and some of them are not as big as Gort. "

It's morons like this that get the ear of local politicians who end up supporting stupid things like delaying the Kilcullen to Carlow opening, or thinking that West-On-Track to Claremorris is a good idea.

The M/N6 has 19 junctions. Athlone has 6, Moate and Ballinasloe have two, and every other town has only one.

I suppose it would be too much to ask this person to get their facts right before making idiotic statements.

But then, we live in a country where the previous financial regulator did nothing wrong because he was "a lovely man".:rolleyes:

Sponge Bob

Lovely Kinnegad has two..or is that three including one on the M4 ???

serfboard wrote: »

I suppose it would be too much to ask this person to get their facts right before making idiotic statements.

Not only that but a delemegation from Gort has already been invited to address the oireachtas transport committee to put their case, chaired as it is by Gort native and national treasure Frank Fahey. Next months meeting I hear, item 1 on the agenda.

Ascii

Check out the following

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=110931

GerardKeating

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Lovely Kinnegad has two..or is that three including one on the M4 ???

Not exactly, Galway bound it has two, one before the N4/N6 split and one on the M6.

Dublin bound, it has two, one each on the M4 and M6.

So "technically" it only has one exit on the M6, but they Gort campaign is not big on facts...

Tech3

May updates :

The Ballyline overbridge has opened to local traffic although I would advise anyone against travelling up to the overbridge on car as the verges are not protected with a crash barrier yet.

View of the new bridge open


Looking south from the Ballyline overbridge


Looking north


Looking south from Shanaglish overbridge


Looking north


I'm wondering why there is no space left in the median for the concrete barrier as I thought the CBM doesnt cover over the whole surface? The same is done towards the R460 overbridge.

topper75

These shots mean we can forget about the 'pre-races' opening dream. Plenty of work needed on road itself, not to mind tie-ins. I am also confused about space not left for median concrete barrier.

fresca

how many bridges is that now that are open?
must be hearly all there except for bridge at interface with ennis bypass?

tech2 wrote: »

May updates :

The Ballyline overbridge has opened to local traffic although I would advise anyone against travelling up to the overbridge on car as the verges are not protected with a crash barrier yet.
...
I'm wondering why there is no space left in the median for the concrete barrier as I thought the CBM doesnt cover over the whole surface? The same is done towards the R460 overbridge.

murphaph

That's presumably not the wearing course, so the barrier can be laid next, then the wearing course, no?

The Word Is Bor

The concrete barrier generally sits on the roadbase, depending upon the pavement design.
Also decent slipform subbie should be able to knock out ~2km of concrete barrier a week with one machine.

Tech3

topper75 wrote: »

These shots mean we can forget about the 'pre-races' opening dream. Plenty of work needed on road itself, not to mind tie-ins. I am also confused about space not left for median concrete barrier.

Yes I think there is a lot of work for this to make the opening for late July.

fresca wrote: »

how many bridges is that now that are open?
must be hearly all there except for bridge at interface with ennis bypass?

There is 3 overbridges left. One at Cragard(tie in at the M18), Curraderra which will open in the next two weeks and the Rathwilladoon one which started later and will be last to complete.

murphaph wrote: »

That's presumably not the wearing course, so the barrier can be laid next, then the wearing course, no?

Oh right didnt know it could be done over the CBM. If so great cause I dont want to see the awful and less safe armco barrier constructed in it's place. I guess the NRA cant go back on what they said earlier last year that any new road schemes have to be constructed with the concrete barrier only.

The Word Is Bor

Tech, check out RCD 400/2 on the NRA website for details of the rebate for the concrete barrier. You'll have to download the entire DMRB though.

Ascii

murphaph wrote: »

That's presumably not the wearing course, so the barrier can be laid next, then the wearing course, no?

Looking North from that picture at Shaglish, thats the binder course thats laid. Concrete Barrier will be laid next and then the 30mm of wearing course will be laid. Take notice of the narrow slot drains that are currently in place, this will reduce the amount of gullies needed to take the surface water of the road that will get lodged against the concrete barrier.

KevR

Hard to say if it will open before the Galway Races or not but it's always surprising how quick they can do the concrete barrier, wearing course and lining..

Tech3

There is about 10 weeks to the Races cant see this scheme being finished by then.

It all depends how quick they get the following done:

• the tie in job done on the M18 side shoving traffic underneath the Cragard overbridge and getting the eastern side of the bridge done.
  
• the Rathwilladoon overbridge as it has about another 2 months work on it still.
  
• obviously the pace of laying the concrete barrier and other layers of asplalt, lining etc..

My original guess was September way back at the start of this thread and it looks more realistic than July at the moment IMO. The only good point is that nothing has to be done in terms of the tie north of Gort for the mainline just link the current N18 onto the eastern roundabout.

serfboard

tech2 wrote: »

The only good point is that nothing has to be done in terms of the tie north of Gort for the mainline just link the current N18 onto the eastern roundabout.

Anyone know why they went so far ahead of the Gort interchange with the road. Normally these things stop just slightly after the interchange, don't they?

L1011

serfboard wrote: »

Anyone know why they went so far ahead of the Gort interchange with the road. Normally these things stop just slightly after the interchange, don't they?

Either the contract specified it, or Willis were very sure of getting the M17/18 PPP (I believe they're not shortlisted?)

A lot of others have either stopped under the overbridge or maybe had the other slips built, thats all.

Tech3

serfboard wrote: »

Anyone know why they went so far ahead of the Gort interchange with the road. Normally these things stop just slightly after the interchange, don't they?

The northbound carriageway will be mostly used after the overbridge as traffic will be pushed onto the LILO which will lead backwards to the two RABs to get back onto the N18 to Galway.

Also the local road just after the interchange had to be abolished as a new link road is created for local access off the western roundabout and the motorway runs over the old local road.(no structure being built to avoid this)

Tech3

I thought I would draw up a rough sketch of the future layout. See attached.

Warning: Not a very good drawing!!!

Zoney

Thanks tech2, pretty mad alright. So going by that, the main hold-up would be for traffic out of Gort as it has to yield to people on the rbout going from N18SB to M18SB? That latter flow has to yield to any M18NB->Gort traffic, but that probably won't be much.

M18NB -> N18NB should be pretty unaffected despite the convoluted tour of the junction.

Irish and Proud

Zoney wrote: »

Thanks tech2, pretty mad alright. So going by that, the main hold-up would be for traffic out of Gort as it has to yield to people on the rbout going from N18SB to M18SB? That latter flow has to yield to any M18NB->Gort traffic, but that probably won't be much.

M18NB -> N18NB should be pretty unaffected despite the convoluted tour of the junction.

The layout will hopefully be very temporary though - the M17/M18 looks pretty certain with PPP funding virtually secured (that's if Greece doesn't default again!). IMO, there would be no point in doing anything else as it would have to be dug up again when the M17/M18 gets underway.

Regards!

Tech3

Zoney wrote: »

Thanks tech2, pretty mad alright. So going by that, the main hold-up would be for traffic out of Gort as it has to yield to people on the rbout going from N18SB to M18SB? That latter flow has to yield to any M18NB->Gort traffic, but that probably won't be much.

M18NB -> N18NB should be pretty unaffected despite the convoluted tour of the junction.

Yeah it will be virtually impossible to get out of Gort when the N18 southbond is backlogged with traffic. The layout is temporary but not ideal but it wont be a long wait for the next section to be complete(2 years possible)

Sponge Bob

3 years from now at the earliest. There will be no diggers on site before 2011. Gort traffic will be backed up for years.

DWCommuter

Sponge Bob wrote: »

3 years from now at the earliest. There will be no diggers on site before 2011. Gort traffic will be backed up for years.

Take the train.:D

Tech3

Sponge Bob wrote: »

3 years from now at the earliest. There will be no diggers on site before 2011. Gort traffic will be backed up for years.

M18/N18 traffic is more important and the movements on the interchange reflect that.

CerebralCortex

tech2 wrote: »

M18/N18 traffic is more important and the movements on the interchange reflect that.

I agree plus Gortians have an option of going south on the old N18 with largely only Gort traffic. Unless people are insane enough to want to take the old road coming from Galway... ...I wouldn't be surprised

Ascii

See they have started doing the tie in works on the ardrahan side of Gort

Ascii

The single lane traffic management and lights that was set up on the Ardrahan side of Gort has been removed for the weekend allowing the two way traffic back to normal. Lets hope its the same for the bank holiday weekend :D

KevR

Ascii wrote: »

The single lane traffic management and lights that was set up on the Ardrahan side of Gort has been removed for the weekend allowing the two way traffic back to normal. Lets hope its the same for the bank holiday weekend :D

Drove down to Limerick on Sunday and was glad that there was no stop and go on the way into Gort.

Have they ever done any weekend work on the M18 Gort-Crusheen and what sort of hours do they usually work on a typical weekday? I know there was a hard-toll involved but they often used to work 7 days a week on the M6. They used to work really long hours every day too.

clon

From todays Irish Independent, article about land prices paid to farmers along the route.But one line in it saying that Contractor aiming to have the road open July 16 next. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/farmers-land-millions-for-road-2202039.html However, the contractor's programme reveals that it was aiming to have the project complete by July 16 next.The document reveals, however, that surfacing on the route is 18 weeks behind the original programme and 12 weeks behind in volume terms.The documentation confirms that on April 30 last, the project was 73pc complete.