M6 - Kilbeggan to Athlone

rekrow

blast05 wrote: »

Re progress - when i was on it on Wednesday week last, out of the ~60km of dual carriageway (~30 each way), about 13-14km needed the final wearing course layer, now only about 3-4km needs it plus a couple of sliproads. A few other bits and bobs (including overhead signs like DSC00099.JPG) done so i reckon there is no reason why the rumour i heard re June 20th is not true.

Went to Billy Connolly in Dublin on Thursday. 20 min delays just outside Athlone on the Dublin side at about 1600. Thought there had been a crash. When we got further along they had traffic lights in action and were resurfacing part of the existing N6. I can't figure out why they would not complete the new road open it and then go back and work on the old road when there is only a fraction of the traffic on it. Unbelieveable!

veryangryman

rekrow wrote: »

Went to Billy Connolly in Dublin on Thursday. 20 min delays just outside Athlone on the Dublin side at about 1600. Thought there had been a crash. When we got further along they had traffic lights in action and were resurfacing part of the existing N6. I can't figure out why they would not complete the new road open it and then go back and work on the old road when there is only a fraction of the traffic on it. Unbelieveable!

I do like the fact that they arent neglecting the old road. Im not a fan of the "If it dont lead to Dublin, we dont care about it" attitude.

But i get your point and yes, id be p1ssed too if sitting in that traffic

I dont know if its been brought up before, but surely they could have made a handier Junction for the Birr turn. You can see the fricken M6 from the turn on the existing N6/N62 and yet you need to travel a good mile to swing around. Sake!

billbond4

veryangryman wrote: »

I dont know if its been brought up before, but surely they could have made a handier Junction for the Birr turn. You can see the fricken M6 from the turn on the existing N6/N62 and yet you need to travel a good mile to swing around. Sake!

It would have been a good idea, but imagine the traffic delays there would have been if they had built a roundabout for the birr turn when kilmartins roundabout is only a few hundred metres up the road, and also the extra cost.
I think they did the right thing, reusing kilmartins roundabout and saving the poor tax payers a few quid.

veryangryman

Anyone think Kilmartins will suffer cos of the new road?

Since only traffic that will use it now will be Birr/Limerick/Cork bound.

The conspiracy theorist inside me thinks that the reason they didnt build a handier Birr junction on the motorway was because Kilmartins gave the odd backhander to the planning authorities.

But thats just me being cynical. Fun to start random rumours thougH! :pac::D;)

billbond4

Well maybe they got a deal on the land at the tuam road exit, where they are going to be building a petrol station with a drive through take-away.

Zube

There is still some work remaining to be done (visible from the main road), the signage and line painting are not finished at Athlone end, the wooden fencing is not erected along the stretch beside the tip at Ballydonough.

The Motorway Restriction signs are up at the Moate/Clara exit (No L drivers etc).

tubos

There must be somebody who can give us a date as to when the road will open! Who would the best person to contact be? someone from the NRA - the press office maybe?

billbond4

Ask a TD in the area.
Seemingly they have been asked to keep a day free in their diaries very soon for the opening !!!

blast05

Hmmmm - Friday week maybe not looking too good !
An article in this weeks Westmeath Independentalong lines of ...... decision likely in next few days re whether Aug 29th opening date will be brought forward - meeting between Westmeath Co Co, Ascon and NRA re this - road safety audit being carried out this week "will impact heavily on any decision" - audit results to be fed back to Acson who will decide if additional required works (if any) can be carried out prior to Aug 29th date - before road can be handed over "it must be handed over to Westmeath Co Co, with contractuary obligations to be fulfilled" - the 3 groups meeting again later this week or early next week

Not sure what to make of it. Presuming there are no additional safety works required (which i would presume to be the case) then handing over to Westmeath Co Co should be a formality ?? As to "contractuary obligations" ???

Will be going for another spin on it tomorrow evening so will report back again then.

I suppose it also depends whether the motorway order is enacted in time as well.
Otherwise some signs will need changing, also the issue of layby's needs to be resolved (IIRC they are not permitted on motorways).

Pittabang

Good Morning everyone, for something that is supposed to be opening in 4 days to great fanfare - there is an awful lot of silence going on...Has anyone heard anything in the recent days? I've to make the trip to Balinasloe from Dublin on Friday and have already said my goodbyes to Moate :mad::mad:

veryangryman

Slightly off topic, and probably a boring question but...

What happens to the current Loughrea bypass road when it is no longer the N6. You cant rename it the usual R445 since the road into town is now re-designated as this?

Yes its a slow day...

force eleven

Pittabang wrote: »

Good Morning everyone, for something that is supposed to be opening in 4 days to great fanfare - there is an awful lot of silence going on...Has anyone heard anything in the recent days? I've to make the trip to Balinasloe from Dublin on Friday and have already said my goodbyes to Moate :mad::mad:

I was talking to someone today who was certain it was scheduled for June 24th, so tomorrow week. Can't be too long now even if that date is missed.

force eleven

force eleven wrote: »

I was talking to someone today who was certain it was scheduled for June 24th, so tomorrow week. Can't be too long now even if that date is missed.

Is anyone able to confirm that, can't wait.
I don't normally get excited about a road opening, but avoiding Moate is different, even the residents must be looking forward to being able to drive down the mainst at more than 5kmh.

L1011

veryangryman wrote: »

Slightly off topic, and probably a boring question but...

What happens to the current Loughrea bypass road when it is no longer the N6. You cant rename it the usual R445 since the road into town is now re-designated as this?

Yes its a slow day...

Going on Enfield, I think the bypass will get another new R number.

force eleven

Deleted User wrote: »

Is anyone able to confirm that, can't wait.
I don't normally get excited about a road opening, but avoiding Moate is different, even the residents must be looking forward to being able to drive down the mainst at more than 5kmh.

All I can say, was I was in Moate Post Office yesterday, and asked the question in conversation. A lady who I didnt know standing behind me in the queue, heard me and said June 24th, and seemed very sure. And yes, we wait in real anticipation. Imagine Moate on a Sunday morning, every day of the week

Zube

My comments from the 11th still stand: that line painting has not been done in the week since, nor has the signage. The lines at the Fardrum interchange have not progressed, either. The lads seem to have taken their foot off the pedal just lately, perhaps waiting on a certain Biffo to have a free day?

Golden Horde

I stopped at the petrol station just outside Moate on the Dublin side yesterday to fill up and asked the attendant when the road was due to open.

He said the 14th of July.

Time to open a book

100/1 Opening before or on friday 20 June
7/1 Opening by or on friday 27 June
3/1 Opening by or on Friday 4 July
10/1 Opening by or on Friday 11 July
30/1 Opening by or on Friday 18 July
80/1 Opening after Saturday 19 July

blast05

Went for another spin this evening:
- 100% of final wearing course layer complete.
- About 90% of all road lines complete (compared to less than 50% 7 working days ago)
- 99% of timber fencing and timber panels complete (just 2 30 yard sections of timber panels to be fitted where poles are in place and timber panels there ready to go)
- 100% of central crash barrier complete (its all concrete apart from ~1km section at very east end) and 99% of road side crash barriers complete (just a tiny bit of tidying up to do)
- Only about 4 or 5 road signs to be erected including large overhead sign at east end of Athlone by-pass.
- A small bit of tidying up to do at the very ends of the new section of motorway.
- Interestingly, there are 120 kph signs on all slip roads on to the motorway compared to only 1 a week ago. The 1 layby in each direction has also been fully completed so motorway with 120 kph speed limit or not ?!
- Finally, and where it may be slightly delayed - 7 working days ago (not including weekends) when i was last on it, there was only about 40% of all the central dashed white lines with cats eyes and with no cats eyes on the solid white line beside the central crash barrier and none on the solid yellow line along the outside edges of the carriageways. However, it is now clear that there will be cats eyes on all lines (3 lines each way) plus reflectors on the central concrete crash barrier. About 50% of all of that is complete. So based on progress over the last week or so, it would take another 8 to 9 working days to complete the cats eyes .... and there in lies any delay ..... so disappointing not to see any activity on that after 7pm this evening.
However, i'm an optimist and am hoping that another machine or 2 could be found to speed up the laying of the cats eyes.


So i'll be going for "7/1 Opening by or on friday 27 June" (although you're probably bang on with the odds D-banker) ..... with the caveat that there is no additional work required arising from the safety audit. On the safety audit, there are 5 or 6 200-300 metre stretches where once you go off the tarmac at the edge of the road and on for a metre on a grass verge, there is then a 5 to 10 foot drop - was surprised there were no crash barriers.

So there you go, recon number 3 will be the final one as the spin on such wide open roads is now getting a bit boring !

Came westbound this morning, the only work activity I can confirm was some kerbing at the Kilbeggan on ramp, saw plenty of activity on the mainline west of Moate - but couldn't see what was being done.

I will hazard a guess at sometime next week, 21-27 June.

Pittabang

Thanks Blast - that has brigtened up my day a bit :-)
The end is in sight this weekend or the next so.

where do I place my bet then....;)

billbond4

Just spotted this on AA website traffic watch:- (notice it was updated 2 weeks ago)

Westmeath - Until mid July, the N6 Athlone Interchange will function as a normal View Map
Updated: 06/06/2008 15:47:28

Until mid July, the N6 Athlone Interchange will function as a normal. This traffic management will remain in place until the new N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone Dual-carriageway is opened this year: Traffic will function in a similar mode as the current Kilbeggan Interchange at the eastern side of the new N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone Dual-carriageway.

Carawaystick

veryangryman wrote: »

Slightly off topic, and probably a boring question but...

What happens to the current Loughrea bypass road when it is no longer the N6. You cant rename it the usual R445 since the road into town is now re-designated as this?

Yes its a slow day...

there will be a new link road from the Loughrea bypass north to the new dual carriageway near Attymon.
The N65 portumna road will come to loughrea bypass and along the new road to the N6.
The other end of the bypass will become the N66 Gort road.
I dunno if there will be a new junction or the roundabout in the middle of loughrea bypass will be used

this was the plan I got from the NRA some months ago.

Seperately, heard in work today that local politicians have a date of June 20th circled into their diaries !!

Another one bites the dust! From what I can see there is still a bit to do, line marking & signs.

Here's looking to next week sometime, hopefully.

Pittabang

i'm devastated. I though I had said my goodbyes to Moate.

:(:(:(:(

tubos

http://www.athloneadvertiser.ie/index.php?aid=7524

Pittabang

http://www.athloneadvertiser.ie/index.php?aid=7524

well sod a dog I could have gotten 80:1 on that :eek:

120_Minutes

Not to get anyones hopes up but at 9am this morning at the concrete barriers on the n6 bypass end of new road 4 workmen and a forklift were standing around with a "are we moving this today or wha?" look about them.

billbond4

Dont give up on it been sooner.
Just been to kilmartins there.
They have put up the sign for the Birr/Ferbane slip road, "exit 8"
Concrete barrier going eastbound removed and line painting in progress that is joining up to the athlone bypass