N18 - Limerick Tunnel & South Ring Road Phase II

Tragedy

Will the N69 to M20 section open before the tunnel? I drive M7>N69 and it would save me a good 5-10mins each way!

Victor

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0619/1224272869051.html

How is it costing €810m? or are they including the entire M7 / M18?

BluntGuy

Fantastic pictures. Thanks very much.

It's a fantastic-looking stretch of road.

Well-built, excellent signage, good interchanges (with the exception of the Dock Road one, still feel that's gonna be trouble).

gryff

Victor wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0619/1224272869051.html

How is it costing €810m? or are they including the entire M7 / M18?

that number jumped out at me too.. other numbers are being thrown around such as 660 million... on the Roadbridge handout yesterday the contract value was down as 400 million... my memory from the various press releases - Im sure a google search will confirm was 300-360 million euro.... I think the entire Cork Dublin motorway was 1000 million so 810m for the tunnel seems crazy... especially as it was only made a tunnel to avoid a high bridge ( to allow ships pass to the docks) over the Shannon.
A shexy bridge...say like this one http://www.hooverdambypass.org/ cost 114 million dollars... I dunno lads...

gryff

anyone else notice the lack of them big ventilation fans that you see in other tunnels -- for example the Jack Lynch tunnel and Dublin port tunnel??...I thought they were a neccessary evil ... also...just googled the Lee tunnel which is the same length as the Shannon one although not as much new road - my memory is it started at the Ringaskiddy/Carrigaline exit on the south link road.. and curved around through Mahon to the Lee and a short connection to the roundabout on the end of the M8.. but the overall project cost was 133million in 1999....hmmm

knipex

gryff wrote: »

anyone else notice the lack of them big ventilation fans that you see in other tunnels -- for example the Jack Lynch tunnel and Dublin port tunnel??..

Oh they are there just hidden. If you look closely at both ends you will see scoops in the roof.

knipex

WalterMitty wrote: »

just saw this on news . it cost 660million for less than a kilometre! is that normal cost for a tunnel?

Tunnel plus a dozen bridges, 2 underpasses, a couple of new access roads, various interchanges, two toll plazas etc etc etc.

Tech3

Also the overbridges are not just the normal standard narrow 2lane style:

The one at Rossbrien is D3M capable. The interchange required more land than usual as it was freeflow and needed space for several ramps.

St. Nessans bridge is very long and accomadates the mainline and also a train line parallel to it. It was also made very wide to provide bus lanes.

The bridge at Cratloe is very big and has several viaducts for both carriageways.

spacetweek

tech2 wrote: »

Junction 1 at Rossbrien to the off ramp at junction 2 were blocked off to pedestrians.

Yea meant to say that - so the junctions are numbered 1-4 now, not 30-33 as they used to be? Anyone confirm?

SARASON wrote: »

How come its another month from opening and its all finished looking from the pics above....

I thought it was opening on the 25th June? Can anyone confirm? It's listed as 25th on the "Estimated opening dates" thread.

Tech3

spacetweek wrote: »

Yea meant to say that - so the junctions are numbered 1-4 now, not 30-33 as they used to be? Anyone confirm?

Yeah the scheme was originally meant to be part of the N7/M7. It has been changed to the N18. So the junctions are 1-4. Not sure there is 5 junctions along the N18 to J9 at Shannon though.

I thought it was opening on the 25th June? Can anyone confirm? It's listed as 25th on the "Estimated opening dates" thread.

According to the local media it will open July 16th.

130Kph

According to this verbose article in the limerick post, from what I can decipher, the new N18 'may' open from rossbrien to dock road (ie. northbound only) from 9pm tonight to allow city access from M20 north for the next 3 weeks.
I suppose we'll see tomorrow !!

sonyair wrote: »

the rosbrien slip from the m20 which gives access to the city will close from monday the 21st to facilitate the construction of the final section of median, expected opening date of 16th july all in limerick post today.
on page 2 top left
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/digitaleditions.aspx?tab=0&pid=16d2df0b-b84b-4602-a4f3-05634de2cff3#

Tragedy wrote: »

Will the N69 to M20 section open before the tunnel? I drive M7>N69 and it would save me a good 5-10mins each way!

Mc Love

The through road to the city through rosbrien interchange is still open.

And the closed one of the off ramps tonight and had to privilege to drive across the rosbrien bridge on the tunnel bound lane but only as far as the current u - turn

They also have a big direct route sign up

gryff

tech2 wrote: »

Yeah the scheme was originally meant to be part of the N7/M7. It has been changed to the N18. So the junctions are 1-4. Not sure there is 5 junctions along the N18 to J9 at Shannon though.

This is my guess..

Junction 1 = Rossbrien (M7/M20/N18)
Junction 2 = Dock Road
Junction 3 = Exit to Caherdavin / Clondrinagh Toll plaza
Junction 4 = Ennis Road
Junction 5 = Portrine / Cratloe
Junction 6 = Bunratty
Junction 7 = Shannon 1 , Hurlers X
Junction 8 = Shannon 2 ( old road to airport)
Junction 9 = Shannon 3 New road to airport

mental headache now... need some tea

rainbowdash

I would say

J5 portdrine flyover and setrights turnoff
J6 portdrine underpass
J7 moyhill going outbound and turn left to cratloe railway station inbound just after bunratty
J8 Bunratty

gryff

rainbowdash wrote: »

I would say

J5 portdrine flyover and setrights turnoff
J6 portdrine underpass
J7 moyhill going outbound and turn left to cratloe railway station inbound just after bunratty
J8 Bunratty

Ya but no but ya but... if J9 is def Shannon airport -- what about the old exit to Shannon airport ?... also - that underpass is really only for a few locals no ?

rainbowdash

Sorry,

thought hurlers cross was 9, maybe

Hurlers cross 8

bunratty 7

underpass at portdrine 6

portdrine 5

None of the other give you an option of doing a u turn on the dualer so probably do not count, although there is an underpass near bunratty too but its convoluted to do a u turn using it!

knipex

After walking the road and looking at the progress they have made even since then I cannot see how its taking another month to finish !!

Unless there is a huge amount of work to be done where it meets the old Ennis road ?

I would be willing to bet money that direct route and purposely overestimating the amount of time they need so they can make a big announcement that its opening even earlier than expected.

bacon&cabbage

gryff wrote: »

tech2 wrote: »

Yeah the scheme was originally meant to be part of the N7/M7. It has been changed to the N18. So the junctions are 1-4. Not sure there is 5 junctions along the N18 to J9 at Shannon though.

This is my guess..

Junction 1 = Rossbrien (M7/M20/N18)
Junction 2 = Dock Road
Junction 3 = Exit to Caherdavin / Clondrinagh Toll plaza
Junction 4 = Ennis Road
Junction 5 = Portrine / Cratloe
Junction 6 = Bunratty
Junction 7 = Shannon 1 , Hurlers X
Junction 8 = Shannon 2 ( old road to airport)
Junction 9 = Shannon 3 New road to airport

mental headache now... need some tea

Confused also

I know Rossbrien is Jn 30 M7
and
Junction 2 = Dock Road
Junction 3 = Exit to Caherdavin / Clondrinagh Toll plaza

so where's Junction 1 then


EDIT: never mind, I expect it will just be JN30/1 ala M4/M6 etc

spacetweek

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

EDIT: never mind, I expect it will just be JN30/1 ala M4/M6 etc

Yep, "Jct 1/30". That's the way they do it in the UK.

Zoney

gryff wrote: »

tech2 wrote: »

Yeah the scheme was originally meant to be part of the N7/M7. It has been changed to the N18. So the junctions are 1-4. Not sure there is 5 junctions along the N18 to J9 at Shannon though.

This is my guess..

Junction 1 = Rossbrien (M7/M20/N18)
Junction 2 = Dock Road
Junction 3 = Exit to Caherdavin / Clondrinagh Toll plaza
Junction 4 = Ennis Road
Junction 5 = Portrine / Cratloe
Junction 6 = Bunratty
Junction 7 = Shannon 1 , Hurlers X
Junction 8 = Shannon 2 ( old road to airport)
Junction 9 = Shannon 3 New road to airport

mental headache now... need some tea

I think this is likely, even though J8 has no access on the southbound carriageway and J6 slips on the southbound carriageway are either end of the village rather than at the overbridge. Someone could ask NRA to confirm.

I think any of the other accesses onto the carriageways are too minor to count as a numbered junction.

nordydan

Zoney wrote: »

I think any of the other accesses onto the carriageways are too minor to count as a numbered junction.

Or possibly 5a, 6a etc...

L1011

Any single-sided exits on the N4 and N7 are lettered now so that could easily be their plan for the N18 also.

limklad

CerebralCortex wrote: »

It's called the Shannon Tunnel.

Incorrect, It is called the Limerick Tunnel even though I prefer it to be called the Shannon Tunnel.

http://www.limericktunnel.com/

limklad

Has anyone else noticed the comments on Direct Route website at the bottom of the FAQs column http://www.limericktunnel.com/

"All your questions answered..."

and when you click on it, it holds only 12 Questions!!!

It is missing one very vital and most important question after safety, that is on everybody lips who thinks about the Tunnel which goes in many forms which basically boils down to this.

This missing question from their FAQs is:
What day will it open to traffic?

CerebralCortex

limklad wrote: »

Incorrect, It is called the Limerick Tunnel even though I prefer it called the Shannon Tunnel.

http://www.limericktunnel.com/

:rolleyes:

limklad

gryff wrote: »

Seeing as the tunnel is connecting 2 sides of the city reasonably close to the centre you'd imagine that it might make sense to have some sort of discounted scheme for residents - I dunno 300euro per year ?... i.e encourage people to use it rather than going the 'old way' and avoiding the tunnel when going shopping in the crescent or popping into the regional for a spot of heart surgery...kinda thing.

If you are going to the Regional for a spot of heart surgery. Make sure you got your "wills" in place. I have no confidence in the management there. If you go in with one complaint, there is a high chance you will leave with far more what you bargains for. While the Heath Service is bad in this country, Limerick Regional is far worse and very much under resource and will be under resource with all the rearrangement of health services in the region. I live near there and know lots of staff working there and visited friends and relatives there and in other hospitals. I also work in an environment where cross contamination is destructive to the product and very much aware on what the main causes it and how to prevent it. Basic hygiene and spread of Bacteria/virus travels in similar methods riding on people skins, surfaces, sneezed out into the air falling down or floating on dust particles in the air. It is People ignorance, tiredness and/or blatant arrogance in denials is main causes to cross contamination and infections.

I been a patient many times in many hospitals when I was a kid, so I rather drive all the way to Cork or Dublin or Galway with a bad heart or with any illness for treatment on the original bad roads. Mallow Hospital has been one of the hospitals I have seen, that I rate very good with staff awareness of hygiene and good habits, so I do not need the Limerick Tunnel to get there but the M20 would be great when completed.

Good roads will not only make people safer to drive on but also get you to decent hospitals sooner due to the government decisions to limit the number of hospitals you can get treatment you need in.

limklad

CerebralCortex wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Yes I know, but when I speak of it, I mainly call it the limerick Tunnel to prevent confusion and the other times, I called it the Shunnel to friends.

Zoney

New signs up for the SRR on the end of the M20 northbound from J2 to J1. The right lane panel is for M7/Dublin, the left is N18 Galway and Limerick (centre) and not hidden despite not being open yet (*all* M20 northbound traffic after J2 offslip has to go onto M7 for now). The only signage advising of diversion is a VMS very near J2 that takes two cycles to show the whole diversion message. Anyone heading to Limerick on the M20 and not already informed is going to miss M20 J2 (Dooradoyle, city access via R926 & R526) and end up at M7 J29 (N24/R527 Tipperary Road).

gryff

was talkin to one of the contractors today and he said the tunnel opening date was planned for the Friday of the August bank holiday.. = 31st July

knipex

They are working on it today. 2 guys erecting signs at 8:30 am.

All signs at the rosbrien interchange (from both M7 and M20 approaches) are now up, including the electronic signs on the M7 approach (altough they are not switched on).

I have not seen the N18 approach for a week or so. Anyone got an update on what is happenign there ?