M6 - Ballinasloe to Galway

Carawaystick

KevR wrote: »

That's the one. They have the bridge over the R348 road in place for quite some time. Work on the bridge over the railway has been very slow in comparison. A month or so ago they erected the retaining walls and have done a bit more earthwork at the railway bridge but work then stalled and the last time I passed there had been no progress since a month or more previously.

What was the situation there when you passed last night?

Irish rail have a track record of being slow ( geddit) to allow structures cross their lines, there was a delay on the gorey bypass, and at least one other route because IE didn't process the paperwork quickly.

KevR

Carawaystick wrote: »

Irish rail have a track record of being slow ( geddit) to allow structures cross their lines, there was a delay on the gorey bypass, and at least one other route because IE didn't process the paperwork quickly.

It's not at all surprising for the M6. The motorway will definitely take some business away from Galway-Dublin trains (people driving or people taking an express coach which already equals the train time and should easily beat it when the motorway opens). Can see why they would make things difficult for the people building the M6, although it doesn't make it anymore acceptable.

Carawaystick

KevR wrote: »

It's not at all surprising for the M6. The motorway will definitely take some business away from Galway-Dublin trains (people driving or people taking an express coach which already equals the train time and should easily beat it when the motorway opens). Can see why they would make things difficult for the people building the M6, although it doesn't make it anymore acceptable.

Ha, I though I was cynical but I never even thought of that...... stands to reason with the N11 and busses too.

I just assumed it was usual union rules We agreed to do it by the latest day possible so we'll do it or then and there's no early bonus for IÉ to kick them in the arse.

KevR

A few cross beams were installed at the N6 overbridge near Aughrim today. Beams were only put in between the central support and the Western abuttment. The Eastern abuttment hasn't been built yet (I don't think).

kaizersoze

KevR wrote: »

A few cross beams were installed at the N6 overbridge near Aughrim today. Beams were only put in between the central support and the Western abuttment. The Eastern abuttment hasn't been built yet (I don't think).

Yeah.Thought thats what they were at alright. I didn't see the beams but Nallys monster crane was there when I passed around 12.

ohnoigotsick

i was talking to my brother who is a guard in galway and he was saying there are plans to open up the motorway to by pass ballinasloe when the horse fair is on in october - anyone else hear this ?

kaizersoze

ohnoigotsick wrote: »

i was talking to my brother who is a guard in galway and he was saying there are plans to open up the motorway to by pass ballinasloe when the horse fair is on in october - anyone else hear this ?

Doubt it will happen for 2 reasons.
1. It won't be ready.
2. The contractors were asked to prioritise that section to get it open ahead of the rest and they said no.

This is the section that needs to be complete for that to happen. Do you think it will be ready for traffic in 3 months?:pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nmfyg6VOmE

Includes 3 structures (not incl. the Suck bridge) that are not long started, 4 roundabouts and the tie in from the existing N6 to the Portumna road.

kaizersoze

Contractor newsletter update.

http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ContractorsNewsletters/file,16558,en.pdf

KevR

Good newsletter!

They still seem to think it will open on the 4th of January. Even if they don't make that date it's good that they're still pushing as hard as they can to make it.

I have noticed a lot more trucks carrying asphalt on parts of the N6 lately. It's good that they're doing plenty of surfacing but the trucks are a bit slow/annoying. On the newsletter it says they will be able to take construction traffic off the N6 & local roads in 8 weeks.

Also, they will be starting work on the roundabout at the existing N6 in Doughiska this month. Although it will be night work, there will be a lot of diversions and disruption here . It's not the contractors fault but if they built a free flow junction here it would cause less disruption I think. A compact trumpet junction would only require one bridge over the existing N6 DC and would mean no ripping up part of the N6 mainline. Slight extra land take but they could work during the day instead of the night, less disruption during construction, a much better junction with free flowing traffic for all movements. I don't know what possessed the planners to go for a roundabout.

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Good newsletter!

They still seem to think it will open on the 4th of January. Even if they don't make that date it's good that they're still pushing as hard as they can to make it.

Anyone notice that the supposed date of this is May? If this is true then a good portion of the work dicussed in this newsletter should have already been done.

KevR wrote: »

Also, they will be starting work on the roundabout at the existing N6 in Doughiska this month. Although it will be night work, there will be a lot of diversions and disruption here . It's not the contractors fault but if they built a free flow junction here it would cause less disruption I think.

I agree with all of this, but the design of this junction was based on the (wildly optimistic, even when this was in planning) assumption that the Galway City Bypass would have been under contrusction at this stage. If this was the case then this junction would only be a temporay issue, much like the roundaoput in Kilbeggan or either end of the Athlone DC.

Bearing in mind the propensity to object to anything (especially by people that do not live in the area Mr Sweetman) this was a kinda glaring oversight (even if i am saying so in hindsight).

Carawaystick

2 shots off a phone camera of from the overbridge immediately east of where the N6 is to crossed

kaizersoze

Carawaystick wrote: »

2 shots off a phone camera of from the overbridge immediately east of where the N6 is to crossed

Ta.
Thats the Barnacragh overbridge. The first one to be completed and open to traffic. I have a few pics of what they're putting into that channel they're digging up the center that I'll post later.

KevR

A few pics of the Galway-Dublin railway underbridge near Athenry. These photos are of the crossing which is adjacent to the R348 South West of Athenry.

Click for full size images

Good to see they have left room to dual the track at some stage in the future





Looking across the top of the R348 underbridge structure. This bridge is now being used for some machinery crossings


Looking along the R348 from the overbridge


Looking East along the M6 mainline. There was no blacktop laid here on my last visit


Managed to get these snaps before being booted out by security haha. Apparently they're keeping a 24 hour watch on the railway bridge because if some vandals were to loosen some bolts it could collapse on top of the rail line :eek:. I asked if he had any idea of when it would be finished and he said he wasn't too sure but sometime in the New Year.

kaizersoze

KevR wrote:

Managed to get these snaps before being booted out by security haha. Apparently they're keeping a 24 hour watch on the railway bridge because if some vandals were to loosen some bolts it could collapse on top of the rail line .

Greats pics.
Lol..loosen bolts.
Security has been stepped up all along the route, gates installed and locked. All seems to have happened since the machinery was burned out a few weeks back. I went up to see if they had finished installing the guard rail on the Suck bridge Saturday evening and got turfed out buy an sg zipping around in an opel corsa.

KevR

kaizersoze wrote: »

Greats pics.
Lol..loosen bolts.
Security has been stepped up all along the route, gates installed and locked. All seems to have happened since the machinery was burned out a few weeks back. I went up to see if they had finished installing the guard rail on the Suck bridge Saturday evening and got turfed out buy an sg zipping around in an opel corsa.

Yeah I've noticed a lot more locked gates recently. It must be because the machinery was torched. Can see where the construction company is coming from but it is a bit annoying for the likes of us who only wanted a look and a few photos.

veryangryman

Ok the Athlone section to Ballinasloe is rightly getting the attention last few weeks..

But now that the fuss has died down any progress on the Galway section?

?Cee?view

Any truth to the rumours that a section which will bring the road west of Ballinasloe will have to be opened before the whole road to Galway, because the bridge in Ballinasloe is in dangerous condition and could collapse?

KevR

There is a bit of work going on at the N6 Overbridge at Aughrim at the moment. It's not as busy this week because of the builders holidays but it's good to see that some work is still being carried out.

Not sure about other sections..

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Not sure about other sections..

There's still work ongoing at Lisheenkyle, looks like most of the first 3 layers have been laid up to the overbridge, with some tidying work to be done in the area around the bridge.

The problem is that most the the work is being done well away from the current roads so it's hard to see progress.

Sponge Bob

churchview wrote: »

Any truth to the rumours that a section which will bring the road west of Ballinasloe will have to be opened before the whole road to Galway, because the bridge in Ballinasloe is in dangerous condition and could collapse?

Plenty , the carriageway is likely to collapse rather than the bridge but either way it becomes impassable if that happens . They may get away with a load of asphalt on top of the holes for a few months ....or they may not .

Can you get in underneath with the camera O Kaizer

kaizersoze

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Can you get in underneath with the camera O Kaizer

Not without a wet suit and I'm too f****n lazy for those kind of acrobatics.:p

kaizersoze

Looks like we're getting concrete and not Armco.....







Done on ~1km stretch immediately west of the N6 crossover.

KevR

Thanks for the pictures!! I thought I could see some sort of concrete object looking West along the M6 mainline when passing on the N6 near Aughrim but it was impossible to see exactly what it was while moving..

I'm glad that my suspicions about a steel barrier were wrong.

From the first picture it looks like they have filled in the gap between the 2 carriageways (except a couple of inches) and laid the barrier on top.

Good progress being made!

Carawaystick

Armco up on the left hand side of the road too- how long before opening so???
Definitely by Xmas?

kaizersoze

Carawaystick wrote: »

Armco up on the left hand side of the road too- how long before opening so???
Definitely by Xmas?

Lol, not a hope. Don't go by that short stretch. I'd say it's the most advanced even though I haven't been further west than Kiltulla.

Hope I'm wrong though. If it opens by christmas I'll eat my keyboard.:p

Chris_533976

Original plan was for Jan 4th 2010 (but realistically thats before Christmas). However thats before the Early Completion bonuses were canned. This will be later than that, but dont know when.

Would there be any possibility of the Ballinasloe bypass section opening earlier than the rest of the project?

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

Would there be any possibility of the Ballinasloe bypass section opening earlier than the rest of the project?

Haha not a hope. That would give people ideas of the route to avoid the toll when the rest would open

I see businesses in Drum/Ballydangan are crying over the lack of business now that M6 is open and even claiming that the old road is quicker.

Take the dummy out is all ill say to that.

KevR

veryangryman wrote: »

I see businesses in Drum/Ballydangan are crying over the lack of business now that M6 is open and even claiming that the old road is quicker.

I'm doing it in roughly 11 mins on the new road, always took me at least 20 mins on the old road.

The old road will soon have an 80kmh speed limit and once the Ballinasloe-Galway section opens people won't have to use the link road into Ballinasloe (which is indirect/adding to the journey), we'll be able to drive directly past the town at 120kmh.


PS - I hope to get out around the Galway end of the Galway-Ballinasloe scheme this weekend to see if any progress has been made since my last visit.

Chris_533976

Should bring it down a bit too when it goes up to 120kmh (unless you've been being bold already )