M6 - Athlone to Ballinasloe

L1011

On SABRE its being suggested its going to be demolished after the road is done, thought to be used as site offices at the moment.

kaizersoze

spacetweek wrote: »

I'm interested to know what the access arrangement is for that bungalow that's right beside the road? Is there a tiny laneway we can't see? They'd need some fencing or the noise would be madness.

There's no access to it basically except for a narrow little gap. That house wasn't actually lived in for a long time anyway afaik. It was the creche for the Elan workers and owned by Elan as well.

Like MYOB says it's likely to be demolished.

Tech3

Also guys another thanks for the great updates lately.

I think its fair to say all eyes are on this scheme at the minute as its so close to completion.

kaizersoze

I travelled to Dublin on the train today so I got a look at some of the scheme east of the N6 crossover. The line painters have been at work there as well and the armco support posts are also in installed for a good few kms.

kaizersoze

spacetweek wrote: »

I'm interested to know what the access arrangement is for that bungalow that's right beside the road? Is there a tiny laneway we can't see? They'd need some fencing or the noise would be madness.

These show the access to the house a bit better. I'd imagine there'll be some sort of screen fence going at the bottom of the embankment as well.

The gap between the small pillar and the fencing in the first pic is the only access

Latest from the Tuam Rd junction.







The Roundabout just needs one more layer of sub-base before the topcoat, could be in use (fully) by the end of this week.

kaizersoze

According to this weeks Athlone Voice newspaper, Friday 24th of July is the provisional date that Minister Dempsey has in his diary for the official opening.

KevR

Final layer of asphalt is down near the N6 overbridge and broken white lines have been painted also.

KevR

kaizersoze wrote: »

According to this weeks Athlone Voice newspaper, Friday 24th of July is the provisional date that Minister Dempsey has in his diary for the official opening.

Connacht Tribune are saying it could open on Thursday the 23rd.
http://www.galwaynews.ie/8091-racegoers-benefit-new-motorway

Racegoers to benefit from new motorway

Thu 9th July 2009
Athlone to Ballinasloe stretch to open on July 23


RACEGOERS heading for the Ballybrit Festival will be on at least one winner – from the point of view of the thousands driving to Galway. For, a further new stretch of motorway to the west is due to open just in time for the Festival.
It is understood that Taoiseach Brian Cowen will ‘do the honours’ when the 20 kilometre stretch linking Athlone and Ballinasloe opens on July 23, a matter of days before the trek to Galway for the Races begins for tens of thousands of motorists.
The new €97 million road brings closer to reality the dream of a motorway standard road all the way from Dublin to Galway, but the new road to be opened in time for the Races will only bring traffic to
the outer eastern limits of Ballinasloe.
Work is progressing on the further 57.6 kilometre €605million link from west of Ballinasloe to Galway, and the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Dail Deputy Frank Fahey, said this week that this further new stretch would be...

Think that's a picture of the Galway-Ballinasloe scheme haha :rolleyes:

?Cee?view

Would love to see what Fahey has to say after "stretch would be..."

KevR

Would have to buy the Connacht Tribune or subscribe for the full online version of the story.

I'm away at the moment but I'll buy a copy of the paper if there are any still around when I get home on Sunday.

?Cee?view

KevR wrote: »

Would have to buy the Connacht Tribune or subscribe for the full online version of the story.

I'm away at the moment but I'll buy a copy of the paper if there are any still around when I get home on Sunday.

I'm in the same boat! I'll be in Galway on Saturday and will see if I can get my hands on it.

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Connacht Tribune are saying it could open on Thursday the 23rd.
http://www.galwaynews.ie/8091-racegoers-benefit-new-motorway


Think that's a picture of the Galway-Ballinasloe scheme haha :rolleyes:

The reporter got a bit lazy so!

serfboard

churchview wrote: »

Would love to see what Fahey has to say after "stretch would be..."

"delivered ahead of time and within budget"?

Chris_533976

They need to get their figures right.

The new €97 million road brings closer to reality the dream of a motorway standard road all the way from Dublin to Galway

Work is progressing on the further 57.6 kilometre €605million link from west of Ballinasloe to Galway

Funny how one scheme goes to the east of Ballinasloe and the next one starts on the west. By the sounds of it, there are no plans to build a motorway bypass of Ballinasloe.

Should be interesting! Or maybe not, if the paper had done even a little research.

Tech3

churchview wrote: »

Would love to see what Fahey has to say after "stretch would be

"stretch would be within budget due to the scrapping of the concrete barrier thus reducing safety on this route" and something about promising us the M18/M17 again :rolleyes:

kaizersoze

churchview wrote:

Would love to see what Fahey has to say after "stretch would be..."

Tech3

The claim of no money around isint false. It is very true.

Also the Limerick tunnel and Waterford Bypass are PPP's so he doesnt really makes sense on that there is excessive money spent on these.

Chris_533976

Also they were already signed because neither of them would have a hope of starting if they were due to start in 2009.

Also Frank Fahey is still spouting. Lets not forget its his Fianna Fail government that prioritised other roads over the Galway Outer Bypass when by all accounts it should have had priority over certain other stretches. I'm not going to say which, because this thread will then descend into anarchy.

Chris_533976

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Also they were already signed because neither of them would have a hope of starting if they were due to start in 2009.

Also Frank Fahey is still spouting. Lets not forget its his Fianna Fail government that prioritised other roads over the Galway Outer Bypass when by all accounts it should have had priority over certain other stretches. I'm not going to say which, because this thread will then descend into anarchy.

Please start a new one.

kaizersoze

A few from the (lesser covered) eastern side of the N6 crossover.

East & West from Ardkeenan overbridge.



Newtown railway underbridge.

kaizersoze

Western end J14. Not much left to do here.



Joining Armco to concrete barrier.


East from Shannonbridge road overbridge. No sign on gantry yet.

Long shot from same overbridge showing Kilbegley overbridge in the distance. Notice the sign in the pic, which previously showed the incorrect distance to Kinnegad, has been corrected.:)


More pics and full size versions here:
http://gallery.m6.kaizersoze.net/index.php?album=athlone-to-ballinasloe&page=5

kaizersoze

Gettin close now.:)
Temporary signs now in place at Ballinasloe end on the mainline to warn motorists that road is closed ahead and to follow diversion to old N6. Signs stretch back about 1.5 km from J14 and are placed in the hard shoulder and attached to the Armco in the center.

Carawaystick

2 shots from a phone camera from the N6 Overbridge, taken last Thursday.

On Saturday afternoon, the posts for the armco were in and the armco itself was on the ground beside them

flazio

How come they haven't finished the alignment on the bridge those photos were taken on, it must have been a month since they did the lines on the east side.

flazio

flazio wrote: »

How come they haven't finished the alignment on the bridge those photos were taken on, it must have been a month since they did the lines on the east side.

Low priority job, all effort is being put into finishing the Tie-in at Athlone.

veryangryman

Cutting it extremely thin if its gonna be open for raceweek.

Cant see it happening. Ive heard the scientific explanation for it ages back, but i hark back to the Moate bypass. This looked "ready" at least a month prior to opening.

Stark

As far as I remember, the Moate bypass was actually ready but they delayed the opening until the various politicians' diaries were free.

dubhthach

Stark wrote: »

As far as I remember, the Moate bypass was actually ready but they delayed the opening until the various politicians' diaries were free.

This is exactly what I heard gave them a chance to bring out all the local "notables" and get their faces in the paper.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Cutting it extremely thin if its gonna be open for raceweek.

Cant see it happening. Ive heard the scientific explanation for it ages back, but i hark back to the Moate bypass. This looked "ready" at least a month prior to opening.

Worst case scenario is that there is some minor tidying up tasks carried over to the following week.

There's only really the Tuam rd roundabout to finish before the traffic is re-routed back via this roundabout while the temp crossover is removed.

connemaraexpat

I see that Athlone-Ballinasloe will be given motorway designation on 28th August. Does this mean that when I come home at the beginning of August I will have to slow down to 100KM and all the signs will be green?

No, all the signs are blue (even the ones for the bypass?) I believe that the speed will be 120k on the new section (as stated by others here).

I had a quick look at the Elan roundabout this evening and it looks almost complete, just a small section of topcoat to lay and lines painted. The main line has been fully lined by the looks of things.

The roundabout could be ready for use by this weekend!

Berti Vogts

kaizersoze wrote: »

W
Long shot from same overbridge showing Kilbegley overbridge in the distance. Notice the sign in the pic, which previously showed the incorrect distance to Kinnegad, has been corrected.:)

That looks like a huge bend for a motorway? Or are there similar bends on the existing M6 that I just haven't noticed?

Possibilities

Possibilities wrote: »

That looks like a huge bend for a motorway? Or are there similar bends on the existing M6 that I just haven't noticed?

It's more of an optical illusion as the camera is way to the side of the road.

There are similar bends near the Kilbeggan junction.

Latest images from the Tuam Rd junction, as good as complete!






The Roundabout is finished, Tuam Rd itself is receiving its final section of topcoat, it could be complete before the day is out!

Next Friday opening is a definate!

kaizersoze

Thanks db.
I had a look down around Elan on Sunday evening last and there was no sign of Armco or lines so there's been good progress.

Chris_533976

Deleted User wrote: »

Latest images from the Tuam Rd junction, as good as complete!



[IM G]https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/73006/85240.JPG[/IMG]

Which direction is the first pic facing (East or West)? Only reason I ask is so I can work out whether the blue sign in the background indicates possible redesignation of the Athlone bypass or simply the motorway to Galway!

I'd say there is a good chance that traffic will be diverted onto the Tuan Rd roundabout this weekend and the temporary crossover will be closed off and the median reinstated early next week.

I've also noticed that they have started to finish the road layout of the "new" monksland cul-de-sac (the bit that got cut out).

Chris_533976

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Which direction is the first pic facing (East or West)? Only reason I ask is so I can work out whether the blue sign in the background indicates possible redesignation of the Athlone bypass or simply the motorway to Galway!

West towards Galway, but this picture is at the Tuam Rd roundabout showing the blue signs for Dublin via the Athlone bypass.

KevR

Westbound approaching the Tuam Rd exit there were new blue distance countdown signs this evening.

BluntGuy

It's possible the NRA had blue signage ordered for the Athlone Bypass and they're either just gonna throw it up anyway and wait for the (inevitable) redesignation or simply wait until the minister redesignates it in the future.

BluntGuy

BluntGuy wrote: »

It's possible the NRA had blue signage ordered for the Athlone Bypass and they're either just gonna throw it up anyway and wait for the (inevitable) redesignation or simply wait until the minister redesignates it in the future.

More likely they just assumed that it was a given, anyway it's only a handful of signs at this junction, none of the signs have been replaced on the bypass yet (except Tuam Rd).

veryangryman

Tuam Exit Westbound now has blue signs. Awesome!

nordydan

AA Roadwatch confirms 23 July at 11am opening ceremony

connemaraexpat

The following extract is taken from the Westmeath Independent this week

However, it will not officially become a motorway until August 28 next when the legal designation kicks in, so until then it remains a dual carriageway with a 100 kilometre an hour speed limit. A Department of Transport statement this week simply states: 'Drivers using the existing open sections of the route (Athlone to Ballinasloe) should note, that until August 28 2009, the current speed limit will apply.'

Are you still sure that it will open at 120?

kaizersoze

The link road connecting J14 to the N6 has been complete and fully signed/lined for a couple of months. I noticed today though that the short bit of it, as far as where it intersects the Shannonbridge road, has had it's broken yellow lines removed.

Am I correct in assuming that it will be replaced with a solid yellow rumble line and be put under motorway restrictions? There's nothing else up that road except the motorway.

veryangryman

Ok maybe im being pernickety but...

The Tuam Exit sign westbound is blue... Should it not be green? Your not on the motorway until you go past Tuam Junction right?

This was only put up last week so they would have known of the heroic non-redesignation of the athlone bypass

KevR

It should probably be green with blue patching and accompanied with a sign advising of restrictions.

Will probably stay like this until a final decision on redesignation is made. It will either then be correct and stay forever or it will have to be replaced.

KevR

connemaraexpat wrote: »

The following extract is taken from the Westmeath Independent this week

However, it will not officially become a motorway until August 28 next when the legal designation kicks in, so until then it remains a dual carriageway with a 100 kilometre an hour speed limit. A Department of Transport statement this week simply states: 'Drivers using the existing open sections of the route (Athlone to Ballinasloe) should note, that until August 28 2009, the current speed limit will apply.'

Are you still sure that it will open at 120?

If the motorway opens with a 100kmh speed limit I will be annoyed to say the least. I tried contacting Galway & Roscommon County Councils about have a special 120kmh speed limit put in place on it while it remains DC. They didn't even have the decency to reply to me.

KevR

nordydan wrote: »

AA Roadwatch confirms 23 July at 11am opening ceremony

Is there a link for that?

Does anyone know whereabouts the ceremony is taking place/where the plaque will be?