Nobody really thought about the N6 did they

Chris_533976

Ok the currently being built N6 from Ballinasloe to Galway is going to be a disaster. Since the Galway Outer Bypass isnt being built yet, the M6 will come to a halt on a roundabout. More stupid than that, if the M17 and M18 schemes are built too, all that traffic will come to a halt on a roundabout.

Lets look at the traffic figures -

http://www.nra.ie/NetworkManagement/TrafficCounts/TrafficCounterData/html/N17-16.htm
http://www.nra.ie/NetworkManagement/TrafficCounts/TrafficCounterData/html/N06-14.htm
http://www.nra.ie/NetworkManagement/TrafficCounts/TrafficCounterData/html/N18-06.htm

N17 Claregalway - 21000 AADT
N6 East of Ballinasloe - 11000
N18 south of Gort - 10000

Lets up the last two to 13000 and 12000 respectively as the counter points are both reasonably far from Galway as it stands and theres no better data.

So the new M6 from the Athenry junction to Galway will have an AADT of 42000, if the M17 and M18 are built.

Oops Thats near capacity already. Guess they should have thought about putting a third lane in there from day 1. Wonder if the bridges are wide enough for a D3M upgrade? I doubt it.

42000 cars per day coming to a halt on an already congested at grade semi ring road? Wont that be fun

Zoney

A bit of a shambles alright. However, the traffic won't all arrive on this roundabout, as if the new N6/M6 is congested approaching Galway, local traffic in particular will stick to the current N17 and N18.

All in all though, traffic will probably continue to get worse rather than better, irrespective of the new roads. I really do think the planned Limerick-Galway train service will be quite attractive, certainly compared to the bus, as the bus will only degrade in service time (as indeed bus services in most places in Ireland are atm), despite the new roads. This is true for the Limerick end as well -at least as long as well-off residents of the Ennis Road, who have private off-street carparking, hold up plans for a bus lane by complaining about their loss of on-street parking.

Carawaystick

the toll should reduce the numbers of cars coming from Loughrea and Portumna coming in on the new N6, possibly similar for Athenry if it's EUR2.70 or so.


Madness not to build a grade seperated junction though

The N6 and N18 traffic already go through that roundabout so no great difference.

Not all the N17 traffic will follow the new route (very little as far as I can see), cos the split of N17/M17 will be at Tuam, anyone after that point will have to double back / go in the wrong direction to join it.

chipclub

The M1 northbound ends at a roundabout at Newry. Sometimes it makes no difference but at busy periods it is a nightmare. In short, ending a motorway at a roundabout is not good!

D.L.R.

The NRA are allergic to freeflow interchanges. The M50 ones were only given the go-ahead when in absolute DIRE NEED. Dublin Airport junction is still a poxy roundabout ffs.

That's why they have sent the M17/18 AWAY from Galway, so as to avoid an expensive freeflow interchange.

Their reason for taking the M17/18 10 miles from Galway?

"It would be unfair for Atlantic Corridor users who are not bound for Galway to have to travel closer to it."

:pac::pac::pac:

L1011

chipclub wrote: »

The M1 northbound ends at a roundabout at Newry. Sometimes it makes no difference but at busy periods it is a nightmare. In short, ending a motorway at a roundabout is not good!

Only after a 1 mile single carriageway stretch

In case you didn't know, the dualler was extended (as the N1/A1) across the border, and goes sinle before it touches its first roundabout.

Carawaystick

Deleted User wrote: »

The N6 and N18 traffic already go through that roundabout so no great difference.

havn't been on the stretch between Galway clinic and Ballybrit, but currently a lot of traffic for Galway city goes by Merlin Park, not this new roundabout on the N6 dual Carriageway.

yeah, the Airport junction on the M1 is madness. no freeflow Airport to M1 northbound, two bridges when a freeflow junction could have been built with one.

at least the N28/N25 was built freeflowing.

mackerski

chipclub wrote: »

The M1 northbound ends at a roundabout at Newry. Sometimes it makes no difference but at busy periods it is a nightmare. In short, ending a motorway at a roundabout is not good!

No, the M1 northbound ends on the N1 with no negative effects. The N1 in turn ends at the border and becomes the A1, once again with no big issues. After a few km a lane closes, the whole lot goes into contraflow and then the whole lot finally empties itself onto an undersized roundabout. And yes, this last bit causes problems alright.

galwayrush

D.L.R. wrote: »

The NRA are allergic to freeflow interchanges. The M50 ones were only given the go-ahead when in absolute DIRE NEED. Dublin Airport junction is still a poxy roundabout ffs.

That's why they have sent the M17/18 AWAY from Galway, so as to avoid an expensive freeflow interchange.

Their reason for taking the M17/18 10 miles from Galway?

"It would be unfair for Atlantic Corridor users who are not bound for Galway to have to travel closer to it."

:pac::pac::pac:

Well done NRA. Cater for the 15% of traffic that isn't going to/from Galway:mad::( Why do we have such morons in charge in this country?:mad:

Chris_533976

As it stands its a little silly, but once (if) the Outer Bypass, M17 and a local Claregalway bypass is done then this is probably the most sensible option. With ONLY the N6 being built (and the N18 the only one with any hope of starting soon) at the moment the whole thing looks silly.

D'Peoples Voice

galwayrush wrote: »

Well done NRA. Cater for the 15% of traffic that isn't going to/from Galway:mad::( Why do we have such morons in charge in this country?:mad:

who knows, maybe they're putting in a Park'n'Ride here at the junction!

I wonder if the current downturn and capital prioritisation would lead to the M17 being axed and a simple bypass of Claregalway being a cheaper option?

I don't see any PPP taking on a Tuam to Athenry toll road without significant government help.

Chris_533976

Its not officially axed but the rumour mill is firing on all cylinders as to whats to happen with it.

In any case a local Claregalway bypass is need, the M17 wont solve all its problems.