M6/4 Motorway Galway to Dublin (for discussing completed sections)

L1011

The patching seems much the same as was done on the M4 PPP section shortly after opening, basically just repairing bits that didn't quite go down well. I noticed it on M6 A-B also, but its the sections where the asphalt is badly stained (looks like rust stains almost!) in places that look way worse.

Similar patching has been used on the worst worn sections of the free M4, between Leixlip East and Celbridge West to delay the inevitable (the surface is 16 years old now!)

MYOB

MYOB wrote: »

The patching seems much the same as was done on the M4 PPP section shortly after opening, basically just repairing bits that didn't quite go down well. I noticed it on M6 A-B also, but its the sections where the asphalt is badly stained (looks like rust stains almost!) in places that look way worse.

Similar patching has been used on the worst worn sections of the free M4, between Leixlip East and Celbridge West to delay the inevitable (the surface is 16 years old now!)

Wouldn't surprise me it some of those sections were rushed in the spring to open the road before the Galway races.

As in laying tarmac in wet conditions.

Wild Bill

ohnoigotsick wrote: »

Drove the athlone/ballinasloe section for the first time on the weekend , anyone else not impressed with the amount patches that exist on a brand new road ?

Well I noticed that. And I wondered about it. And I drove over them and they are seamless. Except visually. :cool:

Zoney

Normal road repairs should be just as seamless - instead of bunging tarmac into a pothole they are supposed to dig out a square and seperately machine-compress new foundation layers in with a final tarmacing that is properly levelled. I've seldom seen this done in practice (although there are occasional examples - usually like on the motorways when a large patch is replaced).

Chris_533976

Dunno if this has been said already but I think the railway bridge over the Dublin line on the Ballinasloe - Galway scheme is up. I couldnt get a good view on the train but it did get noticably darker as we went under it.

KevR

Chris, I got some pictures a while back. Not sure if you saw them.. There is another railway crossing but it's a lot harder to get to so I'm not sure of progress on that bridge but I'd imagine the level of progress would be similar to the one in these pictures.

KevR wrote: »

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.

KevR

http://www.galwaynews.ie/8718-blockade-n6-underway-cappataggle-residents

BLOCKADE OF N6 UNDERWAY BY CAPPATAGGLE RESIDENTS

Mon 7th September 2009

A blockade of the N6 is underway at Cappataggle.
Local residents are preventing trucks and lorries from exiting onto the main Kilconnell - Cappataggle Road from the N6 Relief Road near Cappataggle.
They're claiming the N6 Construction company has damaged roads near a local school.

KevR

Anyone hear anything else about this? Given that it's headlined as a "Ballinasloe" crash suggests it was very near the Ballinasloe end, possibly where the lane drop is??

FIVE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN BALLINASLOE CRASH

Tue 15th September 2009

Five people have been seriously injured in a two car collision on the new Athlone to Ballinasloe motorway.
It's understood the collision happened on the Western-bound side of the motorway shortly at approximately 9.45am.

Victor

Moved to Infrastructure.

Amtmann

Out of curiosity, how are people finding the armco on the Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6?

Sponge Bob

Furet wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how are people finding the armco on the Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6?

I haven't 'found' it yet and I don't intend to

GerardKeating

Furet wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how are people finding the armco on the Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6?

Looks unnerving, but will reserve opinion will i use it...

biffoman

not great when drivers on the other carriageway have low spotlights you tend to get a bit of a glare.mind you the car i have is quite low to the ground.

veryangryman

Furet wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how are people finding the armco on the Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6?

The couple of times ive been on it, not impressed. On wet/windy evenings (and we get a few), can be dangerous to go at the limit

Tech3

veryangryman wrote: »

The couple of times ive been on it, not impressed. On wet/windy evenings (and we get a few), can be dangerous to go at the limit

Didn't Wills construct A-B? I hope to f**k they wont have armco on the M18 Gort to Crusheen scheme.

Nath

Furet wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how are people finding the armco on the Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6?

I don't particularly like it, and would definitely prefer a concrete barrier.

When driving in the overtaking lane it feels like the armco is much closer to the drivers side than it actually is, which is quite unnerving IMO.

Amtmann

Thanks for the replies. I moved these responses to the general M6 thread in order to avoid taking the M6 G-B thread off topic.

Some photos of the Athlone to Ballinasloe scheme in operation would be nice!

KevR

I don't mind the armco too much. I would prefer concrete though because it's safer and cheaper in the long run. I definitely prefer the armco instead of the steel wire barrier.

Sightlines are probably a bit better with the armco but it can also be argued that there could be more rubbernecking because you can fully see onto the other carriageway.

We have a nice variety of medians on the N/M4 & N/M6:

• N4 City Centre DC in Dublin with the Liffey as the median.
• N4 Heuston Station - M50 is narrow DC with a mix of steel barrier and no physical barrier.
• N4 Lucan Bypass 3+3 DC with narrow concrete median.
• M4 Leixlip - Kinnegead 2+2 wide median motorway with steel wire barrier.
• M6 Kinnegead - Athlone 2+2 narrow median motorway with concrete step.
• N6 Athlone Bypass 2+2 DC with concrete barrier (slightly different in style to the new concrete barrier we have on most new motorways) and also couple of short sections with armco
• M6 Athlone - Ballinasloe 2+2 narrow median motorway with an armco barrier. Possibly the only section of motorway in the country that has this at the moment?
• [Future] M6 Ballinasloe - Galway 2+2 motorway will be a mix of narrow median concrete barrier and wide grassy concrete median.
• N6 DC from Doughiska to Ballybrit is 2+2 wide median with steel wire barrier.
• N6 further West in Galway City is 4 lane single carriageway (no barrier).

flazio

Could someone please explain why I was 30 mins late for work today trying to get into Athlone with a clogged up by pass and no sign of any work? What's wrong with the section now?

L1011

KevR wrote: »

[*]M6 Athlone - Ballinasloe 2+2 narrow median motorway with an armco barrier. Possibly the only section of motorway in the country that has this at the moment?

Some of the M2 Ashbourne scheme is this also.

flazio

flazio wrote: »

Could someone please explain why I was 30 mins late for work today trying to get into Athlone with a clogged up by pass and no sign of any work? What's wrong with the section now?

Bridge and drainage maintenance work by the looks of it eastbound.
It was in the left lane earlier in the week now the right lane is closed.

Soon the Coosan bridge (next to B&Q) westbound will be closed to repair the carriageway where the big pothole is, all traffic being diverted off the slip and on again.

kaizersoze

Deleted User wrote: »

Bridge and drainage maintenance work by the looks of it eastbound.
It was in the left lane earlier in the week now the right lane is closed.

Soon the Coosan bridge (next to B&Q) westbound will be closed to repair the carriageway where the big pothole is, all traffic being diverted off the slip and on again.

I passed there the other day. The council had the overtaking lane coned off, heading east from the Roscommon exit, and closed and were cutting grass and hedges in the centre median.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

Bridge and drainage maintenance work by the looks of it eastbound.
It was in the left lane earlier in the week now the right lane is closed.

Soon the Coosan bridge (next to B&Q) westbound will be closed to repair the carriageway where the big pothole is, all traffic being diverted off the slip and on again.

How come they can do this kind of work on the M50 at night?

I was also very late and was even silly enough to divert at Roscommon Exit through town. BIG MISTAKE!

The bypass is a wonderful thing. I hate it when it gets messed with (even temporarily) like this. It makes me feel sad for the older generations who have not grown up with it having to navigate those narrow streets of the town

I think there is some subsidence that needs sorting out, in the left lane there is that "dip" just after crossing the bridge, a bit more than just patching is needed.

KevR

What date did Athlone-Ballinasloe open? Sometime in July wasn't it?

Just looking at traffic counts for the old N6 at Ballydangan to get an idea of usage on the motorway (there are no traffic counters on the motorway).

For all other sections of the N6, they were busier in July and August than in June. So the daily average for July on the old N6 Athlone-Ballinasloe is skewed by the motorway opening during the month. Obviously in August the average is way down.

Probably about 75% of traffic using the new motorway and 25% on the old road (rough estimate from looking at daily averages and bank holiday weekend figures).

Just had a quick look but I think there has been growth in traffic numbers on all sections of the Galway-Dublin route this year. Have heard people say that there is less cars on the road because of the recession, some people have even used it as an arguement for not building any new roads....:rolleyes:

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Just looking at traffic counts for the old N6 at Ballydangan to get an idea of usage on the motorway (there are no traffic counters on the motorway).

For all other sections of the N6, they were busier in July and August than in June. So the daily average for July on the old N6 Athlone-Ballinasloe is skewed by the motorway opening during the month. Obviously in August the average is way down.

Probably about 75% of traffic using the new motorway and 25% on the old road (rough estimate from looking at daily averages and bank holiday weekend figures).

It's actually quite surprising just how many locals along that road commute into Athlone.

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

What date did Athlone-Ballinasloe open? Sometime in July wasn't it?

23 rd July

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

It's actually quite surprising just how many locals along that road commute into Athlone.

And there must be a few people who blindly follow their sat nav and not look at the road signs when at the roundabout East of Ballinasloe (where you have the choice of taking the old road or taking the link road to the motorway).

KevR

Yikes! One of the drainage pits on the Westbound carriageway of Athlone - Ballinasloe is full with water and overflowing a bit into the hard shoulder. Hopefully we won't get too much more rain in the next day or two because the main carriageway could end up with a couple of inches of water at this spot.

KevR

Just passed a tractor which was being driven half in the hard shoulder and half in the left running lane. Really thick because everyone has to pull into the overtaking lane to pass him, he may as well have been entirely in the left running lane.

Anyway, would it have killed him to use the R446?!