M18 - Gort to Crusheen

Tech3

The pace of construction has slipped by quite a large amount this year. I might take a look a progress later today to see how much has been done in the last month or so.

glineli

The central divide is almost as far as Lahadran overpass now

L1011

The "farewell to Crusheen, thanks for your support through the years" (not exact wording) signs are up already, although I suspect its specifically for the Races traffic that is unlikely to pass through again - or indeed use the M18 until next year either!

glineli

MYOB wrote: »

The "farewell to Crusheen, thanks for your support through the years" (not exact wording) signs are up already, although I suspect its specifically for the Races traffic that is unlikely to pass through again - or indeed use the M18 until next year either!

Where are those signs? I must keep an eye out for them.

L1011

glineli wrote: »

Where are those signs? I must keep an eye out for them.

Coming in to Crusheen from the south, quite a bit before the railway bridge

Chris_5339762

tech2 wrote: »

The pace of construction has slipped by quite a large amount this year. I might take a look a progress later today to see how much has been done in the last month or so.

Yeah they absolutely fired through it at the start and I think initially an opening by Races 2010 was completely possible. Now they seem to have slowed down a huge amount.

Amtmann

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Yeah they absolutely fired through it at the start and I think initially an opening by Races 2010 was completely possible. Now they seem to have slowed down a huge amount.

It seems the Mitchelstown-Fermoy scheme will retain the title of fastest motorway project ever completed in the state at 14 months.

d1980

Theres a bit on Nationwide this evening on RTE 1 on the Gort bypass. Big focus on the limerick tunnel but then went on the impact on the town of Gort and Newmarket and Fergus. Im sure will be on Player later.

KevR

Galway News wrote:

BUILDING COMPANY BEHIND GORT CRUSHEEN BYPASS FACING POLLUTION CHARGES

July 30, 2010 - 9:13am
The company building the 207 million euro Gort-Crusheen bypass is facing prosecution for allowing material to be emptied into two water bodies near the bypass works.
The road scheme, which will bypass the south-Galway town of Gort and the Clare village of Crusheen is expected to open later this year.
In the case heard before Ennis District Court yesterday, the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is taking the prosecution against SIAC Wills JV Limted.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/14194-building-company-behind-gort-crusheen-bypass-facing-pollution-charges

Sponge Bob

I heard that a part built attenuation structure behind that pub in Ballyline had overflowed at some stage, a large tank is currently dumped on the carriageway thereabouts and awaiting installation to mollify the fisheries laddies, aother near the tie in further south.

So this is some technical hissing over attentuation I will wager rather than gratuitous pollution of the polluting sort

Tech3

glineli wrote: »

In the Clare Champion this week it has some quote from council members and NRA spokespeople saying the road will be completed in October. However it will need to be tested first so looking like it will be a few months after completion.

Cheers thats excellent news. Had a look at the article.

Crusheen/Gort bypass ahead of schedule

THE Gort to Crusheen bypass could be open more than six months ahead of schedule, it was revealed this week.
This project is being constructed by Siac Wills JV Ltd and the projected completion date was, until recently, June 2011.
However, now, Wills Bros Ltd estimate that the 22.3km, two-lane motorway bypassing the towns of Crusheen and Gort will be completed by October.
A spokesperson for the National Roads Authority stated this does not mean the road will be open to the public by then, as it would have to undergo testing.
“We are hoping the road will be completed early in the new year, if not sooner,” the spokesperson said, adding that the project is progressing “way ahead of schedule”.
He said the project is coming in on budget and would cost €207 million in total.
When completed, the dual carriageway will link Ballinger’s Corner north of Gort to Shannon, meeting the M18 motorway at Ennis.
Work on the project began in October 2008 and if it opens this year, will be more than six months ahead of schedule.

It would be a shame if this didnt open before 2011. The project looked well ahead of schedule for months and they seem to be slowing down a bit with it lately. Hopefully it'll open in October. I will report back on progress of the scheme during the week with a few photos.

Amtmann

I don't know what kind of "testing" they are on about that could take up all November and December. Every other scheme we've ever covered seemed to take days to test, not 8 or 9 weeks. So I'd take that article with a pinch of salt and say traffic will be using in around Hallowe'en.

glineli

Furet wrote: »

I don't know what kind of "testing" they are on about that could take up all November and December. Every other scheme we've ever covered seemed to take days to test, not 8 or 9 weeks. So I'd take that article with a pinch of salt and say traffic will be using in around Hallowe'en.

Hopefully that will be the case.

They are doing a lot of work on laying pipes on either side of the road at the moment, drainage i guess.

I wonder will they start to lay the final layer of asphalt?

Jayuu

As I've said in other threads, I take these official "opening" dates with a huge grain of salt. I reckon in most cases its a case of stating the latest possible date so that when the scheme actually does open they can issue the press release trumpeting how "ahead of schedule" the scheme was!

glineli

Jayuu wrote: »

As I've said in other threads, I take these official "opening" dates with a huge grain of salt. I reckon in most cases its a case of stating the latest possible date so that when the scheme actually does open they can issue the press release trumpeting how "ahead of schedule" the scheme was!

True, bank holiday weekend in October, good time to announce it

westtip

What do you reckon it will do to travel times - Limerick Galway? I think off peak it will make it an hour.

-Corkie-

An hour or less. Its 100 km in distance. So Lets say 120 from shannon to gort, or if your a bad boy like me 140 from limerick to gort....;)

veryangryman

SARASON wrote: »

An hour or less. Its 100 km in distance. So Lets say 120 from shannon to gort, or if your a bad boy like me 140 from limerick to Crusheen gort....;)

I really hope you meant that. Schumacer would find that bridge at Crusheen a bitch at that speed

-Corkie-

veryangryman wrote: »

I really hope you meant that. Schumacer would find that bridge at Crusheen a bitch at that speed

:D. I meant when its all open..

Tech3

westtip wrote: »

What do you reckon it will do to travel times - Limerick Galway? I think off peak it will make it an hour.

Yeah an hour would be about right with the tunnel also. Of course Gort-Rathmorrissey will improve that again maybe down to 50mins overall come early 2013!!

glineli

tech2 wrote: »

Yeah an hour would be about right with the tunnel also. Of course Gort-Rathmorrissey will improve that again maybe down to 50mins overall come early 2013!!

I wonder will they do Gort - Tuam in stages, so Gort-Rathmorrissey first, so open that up, then onto Tuam?

LFC Murphy

The project is out for tender at present as one build. Gort - Tuam (north)

glineli

LFC Murphy wrote: »

The project is out for tender at present as one build. Gort - Tuam (north)

And whats the estimated time to build on that? I know down to 2 bids and announcement due in October, but hopefully they will start pretty soon after the announcement made

LFC Murphy

your guess is as good as mine. It's scheduled to start late 2010, early 2011. All I know is that there are still some CPO's unfinished around the tuam side, whether that will slow things or not.

tharlear

From Limerick to Tuam will be motorway once the ppp is completed,

Why does the motorway end on the south of tuam instead of the north of Tuam


The tuam bypass portion appears to have 4 roundabouts. Would it not make more sense to continue off grade intersections to the north side of tuam?

Someday they will need to be upgraded. Cheaper to do it upfront

-Corkie-

tech2 wrote: »

Yeah an hour would be about right with the tunnel also. Of course Gort-Rathmorrissey will improve that again maybe down to 50mins overall come early 2013!!

Where is Rathmorrisey Tech?. I would prefer to see Tuam-Galway done first. Its a disaster of a road for 70ers. 70ers are people that do 70kph all the time even in the 50km speed limit and dont keep in.:(

Sponge Bob

SARASON wrote: »

Where is Rathmorrisey Tech?. I would prefer to see Tuam-Galway done first. Its a disaster of a road for 70ers. 70ers are people that do 70kph all the time even in the 50km speed limit and dont keep in.:(

It is the M17/M18/M6 junction west of Athenry

Chris_5339762

tharlear wrote: »

From Limerick to Tuam will be motorway once the ppp is completed,

Why does the motorway end on the south of tuam instead of the north of Tuam


The tuam bypass portion appears to have 4 roundabouts. Would it not make more sense to continue off grade intersections to the north side of tuam?

Someday they will need to be upgraded. Cheaper to do it upfront

It would be tempting to make the Tuam bypass motorway, but in fairness the motorway has to stop somewhere.

L1011

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

It would be tempting to make the Tuam bypass motorway, but in fairness the motorway has to stop somewhere.

Of course it does, Bridgend on the way to Derry would suit me fine

tharlear

North of Tuam to the roundabout where the n17 intersects the N4 is single carrageway. There are a number of grade sperated junctions on this road.

I would make sense to bypass tuam with HCDC and then single carrageway to the N4. Though space should be left for future up grades when the country recovers:eek: