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

KevR

Drove to Athlone and back today. It took roughly 50 mins from my house (West Galway City) to East Athlone. Was the same coming home. It used to take me an hour and a half on average when I was working in Athlone during the summer when there was no motorway. Occasionally, I would manage it in an hour and 15 mins (pre-motorway) but that depended on being lucky in Galway City, Ballinasloe and not getting stuck behind anyone slow.

Journey times are a lot more consistent now and there are time savings of between 25 and 40 mins between Galway and Ballinasloe.

KevR

Just noticed that Athlone to Ballinasloe is on Google Maps but it is green N6 instead of M6.

Pity they're so slow to update it and when they finally do, it's not quite right.

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Just noticed that Athlone to Ballinasloe is on Google Maps but it is green N6 instead of M6.

Pity they're so slow to update it and when they finally do, it's not quite right.

The Athlone - Kinnegad section is green as well. :rolleyes:

KevR

Was on the M6 between Doughiska and J17 tonight. The emergency lane was closed heading East a lot of the way between J19 and J17. The cones in the HS had actual lights on them, not just reflectors. I've never driven on a road with electric cat's eyes but that was a bit like it - could probably see the cones lights up to a kilometre away!

Also, I noticed that someone has demolished one of the chevron signs on the Doughiska roundabout (the end of the M/N6 Galway-Ballinasloe scheme when heading West). There should really be rumble strips approaching the roundabout as people arriving at it have travelled over a long distance at sustained high speeds.

It was noticeably busier yesterday evening (Sunday) than a couple of Sunday's ago. The cold weather really put a lot of people off travelling. But it was back up to the level you would expect heading into Galway on a Sunday evening with all the out-of-towners coming back for work and college on Monday morning.

CrowdedHouse

I saw the cones yesterday afternoon too.
I was a bit puzzled by them,the length of the section with them and the way they were blocking the hard shoulder rather than cordoning off anything(maybe they're just leaving them 'parked')

eoineen

This may have been dealt with already here but last Friday afternoon I left Galway city following the signs for Dublin (N6) and ended up on the old road as far as Craughwell. Did I miss a sign for the new M6 junction?

I think this was the roundabout from which I left Galway. Any help for the next time?

KevR

eoineen wrote: »

This may have been dealt with already here but last Friday afternoon I left Galway city following the signs for Dublin (N6) and ended up on the old road as far as Craughwell. Did I miss a sign for the new M6 junction?

I think this was the roundabout from which I left Galway. Any help for the next time?

If you zoom into the roundabout is it called 'Martin' Roundabout? Did you drive out of the City on the Dublin Road (R338)?

If so, you should have went left at Martin Roundabout and got on the M6 at the roundabout here (where the 'A' marker is). Out of curiosity, was there a variable message sign approaching Martin Roundabout and did it tell you to go on the old N6 for Dublin? A couple of weeks ago that variable message sign was incorrectly telling people to use the old route but I thought that had been corrected... The actual permanent road signage is wrong in the area and it should really be updated ASAP.

Here's a map with the motorway on it.

CrowdedHouse

Saw my first crash on it today,all I could see was a Focus took on the central barrier and lost.I was going West, accident on East bound just past Athenry junction.Several fire engines and ambulances.

I hope no one was seriously injured.

KevR

No mention of any accident on RTE or Galway News. Hopefully that's an indication that it wasn't too serious.

KevR

Rally was on in Galway this weekend. There must be at least 25 doughnut-shaped skid marks from wannabe rally drivers on the M6 between Doughiska and Athenry. Were these people dropped on their heads as babies? What would posses anyone to stop on a motorway and start doing doughnuts? Imagine driving along minding your own business and smashing into some muppet who thinks he's in the Fast and the Furious film. I don't mind them having a bit of a mess in an empty car park, but on a motorway.....:mad:

Saw a tractor plodding along at a snails pace between J19 and Dougiska :mad:. I know he was legally entitled to use that section but common sense would tell you to use the R446 Dual Carriageway (old N6) or the R339 instead. There is nothing wrong with either of those other options.

CrowdedHouse

KevR wrote: »

d:

Saw a tractor plodding along at a snails pace between J19 and Dougiska :mad:.

Was that last Friday afternoon ?

I saw a(blue) tractor somewhere around the Athenry junction(West) - halfway in the HS and halfway on the lane,he was looking around anxiously as he was coming up to the coned off section of the HS.

KevR

The one I saw was this afternoon on the bit which is not motorway between J19 and Doughiska.

The one you saw on Friday near Athenry on the motorway definitely should not have been there. Even if he was going faster than 50kmh, he should not have been halfway in the emergency lane.

I don't understand why they can't use the alternative routes. They have been good enough for the last few decades and they should be a lot less busy now that the motorway has opened.

L1011

Only one thing for any tractors you see doing that - phone them in to Trafficwatch. The M6 is long enough between junctions that the Guards should be able to catch them.

Chris_5339762

2h40m from Dun Laoighre to Barna today. Got lucky with traffic in Dublin and Galway.

120kmh for all the bits I could (GPS 120kmh, speedometer 128kmh. GPS more accurate).

dubhthach

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

2h40m from Dun Laoighre to Barna today. Got lucky with traffic in Dublin and Galway.

120kmh for all the bits I could (GPS 120kmh, speedometer 128kmh. GPS more accurate).

You wonder what sort of time saving you would have had if they "Outer Bypass" was in place given that it would end just slightly west of Bearna.

Chris_5339762

Probably 15 minutes less for me as I got lucky with traffic, but on a bad day it'll easily take an hour off a journey.

Solberg2005

Lads just wondering what's the latest with the athlone by-pass and upgrading it to motorway spec. I see all the new sign posts are up but there doesn't seem to be much else happening at the moment.

Roryhy

I didnt think there were any plans to make the athlone bypass motorway, i havent heard about it anyway!

Chris_5339762

The original idea was to redesignate it to motorway along with other sections of the M6, but there were objections and the last we heard was last August when it was "still under consideration". Since then, its being sat on.

KevR

Roryhy wrote: »

I didnt think there were any plans to make the athlone bypass motorway, i havent heard about it anyway!

It was included in the second tranche of redesignations last year. A decision wasn't made on the Athlone Bypass, I believe it's still being considered. When the decision eventually is made, either way, new signage will be erected on the new poles - blue signs if it gets redesignated as a Motorway, new green signs if it stays as Dual Carriageway.

It will retain it's 100kmh speed limit if it does get redesignated though.

Poster King

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

2h40m from Dun Laoighre to Barna today. Got lucky with traffic in Dublin and Galway.

120kmh for all the bits I could (GPS 120kmh, speedometer 128kmh. GPS more accurate).

I think my speedometer is inaccurate too. I drove back from Connemara recently and was consistently doing just over 120km/h on the motorway, close to 130km/h at times, that is 2km per minute, but I'm petty sure I was doing a lot less than this when I looked at distance signs and the clock.

Still, It took me less than three hours to do a journey that used to be 4 and a half hours. Galway outer bypass and Moycullen bypass would make for even more time savings, I'd say 20 minutes at least.

Tech3

Drove the M4/M6 today for the first time today. Have 30-40 photos to upload may take a while but what a road!

The M4 was generally good couple of bad points, the 80km limit widened 3 lane section is questionable. Why is it so slow cause of the bus lane? The surface was relatively good the PPP scheme Kilcock/Kinnegad was built to a good standard.

The M6 was enjoyable to say the least. Athlone to Ballinasloe scheme with the metal barrier was strange at first but got used to it after a few km's but must say the concrete barrier looks to be a lot safer. I have driven the Atlone bypass on numerous occasions but it wasnt coming from the M6 it is a big hazard approaching the first corner felt really tight.

But after passing the Athlone to Ballinasloe scheme I came onto the Ballinasloe to Galway PPP one. A serious contender for the best bit of motorway built in the entire country ever. The surface is perfect with some great cuttings to go with it. The toll was worth every cent. I really detest the 1.90 charge though it's really 2 euro when people could not be bothered throwing change in. The best scheme I have driven anyway.

KevR

A couple of different possible reasons for the 80kmh speed limit on the N4 Lucan Bypass were mentioned on some other thread. Someone suggested it's 80kmh to keep noise to a minimum (residential properties pretty close by) and I think a golf course still has direct access onto it or something. These are not definite reasons, just speculation. I hope common sense prevails and the speed limit gets changed to 100kmh. It's impossible (and probably dangerous) to stick to 80kmh on that stretch and the low limit, in my opinion, doesn't help the aweful lane discipline situation.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the M6 Galway-Ballinasloe is a contender for best built section of motorway in the country; at least I now know that I'm not being biased . It's definitely the best section of motorway I have ever driven.

Look forward to seeing your pictures!

Tech3

KevR wrote: »

Look forward to seeing your pictures!

Just after noticing I have about 80-90 photos of the whole route. Will bring that down a bit to the good ones so will take a few days til there up here.

Chris_5339762

Funny enough I was on the N4 80kmh section the other day and everyone was behaving themselves and keeping to around 80. Not that much traffic either.

Also coming eastbound from the 120kmh section to the 80kmh section there are some suspicous poles that look like they could hold SPECs.

KevR

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Also coming eastbound from the 120kmh section to the 80kmh section there are some suspicous poles that look like they could hold SPECs.

Absolute disgrace if so. One of the best/safest stretches of road in the country.

Tens of thousands of kilometres of road in the country which would be more worthy of SPECS.

[wild guess]
Traffic monitors, the type that read numberplates and read them eleswhere to estimate the average traffic speed of the road for the likes of AAroadwatch etc.

[/wild guess]
Are these newly erected?

L1011

There have been standard traffic monitoring cams at/opposite McCoys for years, they have probably been reinstated after the works - I don't pay much attention seeing as I know that road like the back of my hand!

Tech3

Photos from my trip on the M4/M6 Dublin to Galway

On this post is all of the M4 photos

Off we go on the M4


Signage for the toll plaza on the M4 Kilcock/Kinnegad PPP scheme


2.90 is a steep toll charge .....


Plenty of toll booths not many open though,


Nice cutting and downhill drive


Some minor work on the outside lane


Again more of this on the hard shoulder approaching J9


Off ramp for J9


Toll plaza for on ramp J9


Distance marker after J9


Approaching the M6 junction and look where I am!!

Tech3

M6 photos

Nice shot of the M6/M4


Approaching J2


Distance marker after J2


Strange looking overbridge


ADS for J5



Approaching the Athlone bypass



N6 Athlone bypass