M17/M18 - Gort to Tuam [open to traffic]

m17

The have started work on the roundabout on the tuam bypass next to Parsons garage Milltown side

Carawaystick

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

I wonder about this.

I live pretty much beside the Kilteirnan M18 junction and I'm not sure how traffic numbers will reduce once the M18 opens.
I imagine north bound and Galway City traffic from south of the Gort junction will use the M18; however with the M18 running towards Derrydonnell Galway City bound traffic starting out from north of Gort may continue to use the old N18.

Furthermore, some Dublin bound traffic from Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge may choose to travel southbound on the N18 to join the M18 at Kilteirnan.

No doubt these local traffic issues are found along any new motorway build.

How many people live along the N18 from Gort to Oranmore? Not enough to worry about.

Mahogany Gaspipe

Carawaystick wrote: »

How many people live along the N18 from Gort to Oranmore? Not enough to worry about.

<snip>

MOD: Don't attack posters. Your argument is not improved by doing so, and it says more about you than the poster you disagree with. Sam

ratracer

@MAhogany gaspipe: I've been looking for the junction layout of the proposed new junction on the Galway side of Kiltiernan NS, but can't find it online anywhere now. Have you any idea of the new layout? I can't help but feel it's going to be quite dangerous (moreso than it is now) trying to turn right off the N18 here.

m17

The m17/m18 flyover at rathmorissy pic 2 the flyover at coldwood

Leonard Hofstadter

Quality photos once more m17, thanks for keeping us updated. I can't wait for this to be finished as I go to Galway quite often whenever I'm in Ireland so I certainly won't miss all the highways and byways between Gort and the city!

glineli

Not much progress at Coole

m17

The townland of ballybanagher corofin pic1 20/01/15 pic2 14/03/15 pic3 16/05/15 pic4 24/07/15 pic5 11/10/15

m17

Flooding next to the m17 at cloonkeen south between corofin and tuam

Mahogany Gaspipe

ratracer wrote: »

@MAhogany gaspipe: I've been looking for the junction layout of the proposed new junction on the Galway side of Kiltiernan NS, but can't find it online anywhere now. Have you any idea of the new layout? I can't help but feel it's going to be quite dangerous (moreso than it is now) trying to turn right off the N18 here.

Well I cant direct you to any link showing the junction but surely a drawing exists somewhere online.

I would imagine that it would be dangerous or unsure though. Its only there to facilitate a single road so probably the usual peel off/ merge on setup?

Mahogany Gaspipe

Can anyone tell me if there are different grades of motorway?

I know that local topography and cultural settlement may dictated routing but does some manner of regulation exist that sets out the required straightness of the route?
For example the M18 Gort to Ennis section is a much more twisty search of roadway compared to any section of the M4/M6.
I think that it was poorly laid out, granted the above mentioned factors may have constrained the routing but much of it is long banking turns over and back. I don't have the same degree of confidence travelling at speed on the M18.

spacetweek

Mahogany Gaspipe wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if there are different grades of motorway?

I know that local topography and cultural settlement may dictated routing but does some manner of regulation exist that sets out the required straightness of the route?
For example the M18 Gort to Ennis section is a much more twisty search of roadway compared to any section of the M4/M6.
I think that it was poorly laid out, granted the above mentioned factors may have constrained the routing but much of it is long banking turns over and back. I don't have the same degree of confidence travelling at speed on the M18.

Yes there are regs that have to be followed regarding how gentle curves have to be and gradients can't be steep.
Although the curves on Gort to Ennis might seem sharp, it's certain that would still be within regs.
The road category HQDC (High quality dual C) has identical regs to motorways in this country. In other countries, that might not be the case.

MBSnr

^^^
The road itself I find ok, but I always think the exit slips are madness on the Gort-Ennis section. Some are just basically right angle turns (if the road is at the same level) and others are lengthened rising slips roads to a roundabout/overpass bridge. I'm surprised there hasn't been more accidents and the warning arrows been demolished... You certainly don't see that sort of slip road in the UK on motorway graded roads. Slips tend to go to down or up to traffic lights and roundabouts. Admittedly there is much more traffic and perhaps in mainland Europe they do similar but then again those I've seen tend to be slip roads with a curve (Spain) and not 90 degrees if the road is at the same level as the motorway.

Didn't they orginally build it and allocate it as 100Km before upgrading it to 120Km motorway? Or am I confusing that with the M6? Anyhow that might account for the smaller slip roads as they are.

Mahogany Gaspipe

MBSnr wrote: »

Didn't they orginally build it and allocate it as 100Km before upgrading it to 120Km motorway? Or am I confusing that with the M6? Anyhow that might account for the smaller slip roads as they are.

Ah that makes sense. Although it certainly must satisfy the requisite regulation, in my eyes at least the M6 is a much superior and safer stretch of road.

I like to accelerate and get pass whatever vehicle I'm overtaking and get out of the fast lane as quickly and safely as conditions will allow. The M18 has many long LHS turning bends which don't help doing that.

I'm not meaning to come across too much of a Cpt' Caution but the M18 isn't a relaxing drive as experienced at comparable speeds on the M6.

Also as some earlier poster said, that surface finish on the final stretch of the M6 really is excellent. It's probably the best finished surface I have driven on in the country. Hopefully the finish on the M18 will be up to the same standard.

spacetweek

I know the slips you're talking about - they are definitely under engineered and probably shouldn't have been. It's because the predicted traffic levels using them would be so low.
There are one or two of those in the M7 (Roscrea) and M6.

marno21

The Ennis bypass section of the M18 (from J11 - J14 including the two very tight exits) was opened as a 100km/h DC in 2007. Not only has it those exits but it also has quite a narrow hard shoulder. It came as a surprise to a lot of people back in 2009 that it was up for redesignation to a 120km/h motorway

Deedsie

spacetweek wrote: »

I know the slips you're talking about - they are definitely under engineered and probably shouldn't have been. It's because the predicted traffic levels using them would be so low.
There are one or two of those in the M7 (Roscrea) and M6.

Roscrea and Moneygall, junction 22 & 23 both have those slip roads. There is also a stretch of Motorway just North of Moneygall that has a fairly severe bend for a Motorway. People brake on it regularly.

Czhornet

marno21 wrote: »

The Ennis bypass section of the M18 (from J11 - J14 including the two very tight exits) was opened as a 100km/h DC in 2007. Not only has it those exits but it also has quite a narrow hard shoulder. It came as a surprise to a lot of people back in 2009 that it was up for redesignation to a 120km/h motorway

Alot of the new Road projects are designed as a High Quality Dual Carriageway with 100kmh speed limit with the hope that the NRA will upgrade the road to Motorway status with 120kmh speed limit. The M7 between Limerick and Nenagh started off as a HQDC but was upgraded mid construction, even though the Birdhill junction was designed for Motorway standards.

J14 on the Ennis Bypass (Barefield) has very short de-acceleration and acceleration lanes. If the motorway traffic flow isnt paying attention the cars entering on to the road almost pulls out in front of the on coming cars. Its a stupid design which was allowed to go to Construction Phase, so much for Design and build contracts.

Nichard Dixon

Czhornet wrote: »

J14 on the Ennis Bypass (Barefield) has very short de-acceleration and acceleration lanes. If the motorway traffic flow isnt paying attention the cars entering on to the road almost pulls out in front of the on coming cars. Its a stupid design which was allowed to go to Construction Phase, so much for Design and build contracts.

It should be fixed. Extending the lane is not rocket science.

serfboard

Czhornet wrote: »

J14 on the Ennis Bypass (Barefield) has very short de-acceleration and acceleration lanes. If the motorway traffic flow isnt paying attention the cars entering on to the road almost pulls out in front of the on coming cars. Its a stupid design which was allowed to go to Construction Phase, so much for Design and build contracts.

spacetweek wrote: »

It's because the predicted traffic levels using them would be so low.

I'd love to see the numbers using this junction. I'd say J14 southbound (Barefield->Limerick) would be low, and J14 northbound (Barefield->Galway), practically zero. One could argue whether a junction should have been built here at all. I'd guess it was lobbied for, and so a half-arsed cheapo junction was added in as an afterthought.

Not an excuse I know, more of an explanation. If there were crashes here on a regular basis, I'd guess something might be done about it, but AFAIK there aren't, so 'twill remain as it is, I'd say.

glineli

Gort is the worst, it has 2 different off ramps, one the tight left handed and the other one southbound is the better slip lane

marno21

Nichard Dixon wrote: »

It should be fixed. Extending the lane is not rocket science.

It would require widening the road as the hard shoulders on that strech of the M18 are quite narrow

glineli wrote: »

Gort is the worst, it has 2 different off ramps, one the tight left handed and the other one southbound is the better slip lane

The northbound element of the Gort junction should have been done as a full GSJ considering the traffic using it (e.g. all N18 traffic)

Czhornet

serfboard wrote: »

I'd love to see the numbers using this junction. I'd say J14 southbound (Barefield->Limerick) would be low, and J14 northbound (Barefield->Galway), practically zero. One could argue whether a junction should have been built here at all. I'd guess it was lobbied for, and so a half-arsed cheapo junction was added in as an afterthought.

The numbers might be small but motorway safety and sight lines have to be maintained as a small error at speed could cause havoc.

spacetweek

Deedsie wrote: »

Roscrea and Moneygall, junction 22 & 23 both have those slip roads. There is also a stretch of Motorway just North of Moneygall that has a fairly severe bend for a Motorway. People brake on it regularly.

I agree it looks quite tight.

spacetweek

Czhornet wrote: »

J14 on the Ennis Bypass (Barefield) has very short de-acceleration and acceleration lanes. If the motorway traffic flow isnt paying attention the cars entering on to the road almost pulls out in front of the on coming cars. Its a stupid design which was allowed to go to Construction Phase, so much for Design and build contracts.

The gantry signage is also wrong , it should be blue and white not black and white.

m17

Mahagh bridge Corofin the have started work on the footpaths

paul2013

Hi Folks,

I found a picture of the Proposed interchange in Kiltiernan, To the North of Kiltiernan It's going to be N67 to Kilcolgan as far as that and then it will be R458 similar to the South of Kiltiernan on the old N18 it's going to be R458

ratracer

paul2013 wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I found a picture of the Proposed interchange in Kiltiernan, To the North of Kiltiernan It's going to be N67 to Kilcolgan as far as that and then it will be R458 similar to the South of Kiltiernan on the old N18 it's going to be R458

Any link to pic? Thanks

m17

The flyover at coolwood pic 1 22/06/15 pic2 31/08/15 pic3 11/12/15

CrowdedHouse

m17 wrote: »

The flyover at coolwood pic 1 22/06/15 pic2 31/08/15 pic3 11/12/15

No harm when it's finished - those chicanes on the 'bypass' are quite tight