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

FatherTed

FatherTed wrote: »

How much of an effect will this have on the traffic at Baile Chlair(not saying the English version of the town since it is not mentioned on the signposts:))? Will a lot of people coming from North of Baile Chlair now take the M17 and not the old N17 to their jobs/shopping in Galway City? Is the N17 being renamed?

It remains to be seen - lots of traffic going to Galway will come and go that way still, regional traffic not going to Galway will be taken out of it.

yop

Know a few lads who work partime in London now switching to Shannon as earlier/later flights suits their days better. So it will be interesting to see how it affects both.

Vanquished

paul2013 wrote: »

When FG were in the opposition benches, the bridge at CratloeMoyle was supposed to be the start of the M7 but due to the fact that the feared no one would use the Limerick Tunnel due "Learners" been banned from Motorways and instead changed it to a Dual Carriageway and fact the matter is that the Tolls are in both sides of Clare from the old demographics of the Clare - Limerick divide of the River Shannon.
:rolleyes:

There was no "old divide" Present day counties Limerick and Clare formed part of the old kingdom of Thomond. The area that now comprises the northside of Limerick city was never part of County Clare. It was previously transferred from County Limerick to the newly created County Borough of Limerick (Limerick city)

Getting back to road matters. There is no logical reason for phase 2 of the ring road and the tunnel not being the M18.

Pereplyotchik

M17 will also benefit alot of train users.... This saves Nth Galway users from Claregalway / Galway grid lock, You can pick up Dublin Train in Athenry about 10-15mins after it leaves Galway. No traffic to speak of on way in, loads of cheap parking nearby and a gritted surface during frosts etc. I for one will make use of it this winter when the weather is bad...
Trying to catch Train in Galway could take 1h 20m from Tuam with parking costs and hassles incl., now Athenry is very convenient.

pjordan

from_atozinc wrote: »

Just in regard to the user M17, thanks for all the posts.

Just curious really, were you actively involved and working on this project or are you just a normal joe soap like ourselves on the outside of things (Q may have been asked before so apologies)

I second that to M17. Have been popping in with a professional as well as a personal interest over the past few years and he/she has done us all a great service documenting the progress in photos. Thanx a mill M17. As I write I'm listening to the sawdoctors sing about a road that shall cease to exist in the next half an hour!!!!

from_atozinc

Deleted User wrote: »

The stretch of road from Tuam to Galway from the song (stone walls, green grass, turning left at Claregalway) that used to be known as the N17 is now the N83.

The road from Tuam to Sligo is still the N17.

thanks
why did they have to change it, didn't interfere with M17 naming etc

munchkin_utd

the road isnt open on a lot of online map services, but this one does have it live
https://graphhopper.com/maps/
its actually a nice interface

Travel time estimation (from far end of Tuam by pass to Gort motorway junction) "56.81km will take 30min"

Reputable Rog

Vanquished wrote: »

There was no "old divide" Present day counties Limerick and Clare formed part of the old kingdom of Thomond. The area that now comprises the northside of Limerick city was never part of County Clare. It was previously transferred from County Limerick to the newly created County Borough of Limerick (Limerick city)

Getting back to road matters. There is no logical reason for phase 2 of the ring road and the tunnel not being the M18.

It was part of Clare until 1609, and now we would like it back, thanks very much.

marno21

from_atozinc wrote: »

thanks
why did they have to change it, didn't interfere with M17 naming etc

National road numbers can legally only belong to one road, so when a new motorway opens the old road becomes a regional road, or in this case a national secondary. It becomes the job of the Council to maintain it then (or not in this case)

m17

Another 40 mins and it will be straight on

TCDStudent1

Roadfan wrote: »

From an interview I listened to this morning with one of the band I gather the part of the N17 they had in mind for the song is now subsumed into the M17. Think you can get interview on RTe player

The song is about a young guy emigrating to USA. His father drives him from Tuam to Shannon airport and describes that journey. There is a line in song 'as we turned left at claregalway'. People making the journey to Shannon from Tuam will no longer take that route and just go onto the new motorway in Tuam.

from_atozinc

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

The song is about a young guy emigrating to USA. His father drives him from Tuam to Shannon airport and describes that journey. There is a line in song 'as we turned left at claregalway'. People making the journey to Shannon from Tuam will no longer take that route and just go onto the new motorway in Tuam.

or the N83

the dark phantom

FatherTed wrote: »

How much of an effect will this have on the traffic at Baile Chlair(not saying the English version of the town since it is not mentioned on the signposts:))? Will a lot of people coming from North of Baile Chlair now take the M17 and not the old N17 to their jobs/shopping in Galway City?

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Zerbini Blewitt

“..So I waved a goodbye with a wistful smile and I left the girls of Tuam..”

All mainline traffic must now also faithfully wave goodbye to the girls of Tuam (the little minxes) :eek:

what_traffic

m17 wrote: »

Another 40 mins and it will be straight on

Any idea why its opened in a "rolling" manner?

http://connachttribune.ie/transport-minister-says-new-m17-motorway-will-attract-business-to-the-region/

"
The motorway will be opened to traffic on a rolling basis throughout the afternoon, and will be fully open by this evening.
"

http://connachttribune.ie/gardai-and-contractors-begin-process-of-opening-gort-to-tuam-motorway-to-traffic/
"
It’ll be opened to traffic on a rolling basis throughout the afternoon, and will be fully open by around 6 this evening.
"

topper75

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

The song is about a young guy emigrating to USA. His father drives him from Tuam to Shannon airport and describes that journey. There is a line in song 'as we turned left at claregalway'. People making the journey to Shannon from Tuam will no longer take that route and just go onto the new motorway in Tuam.

Anyway the whole song was fake.
Only ould lads get worked up about stone walls and fields. Young lads are mad for dollars, American women, and getting a break from the father being on their back about not working. Couldn't wait to go they couldn't.

paul2013

what_traffic wrote: »

Any idea why its opened in a "rolling" manner?

http://connachttribune.ie/transport-minister-says-new-m17-motorway-will-attract-business-to-the-region/

"
The motorway will be opened to traffic on a rolling basis throughout the afternoon, and will be fully open by this evening.
"

http://connachttribune.ie/gardai-and-contractors-begin-process-of-opening-gort-to-tuam-motorway-to-traffic/
"
It’ll be opened to traffic on a rolling basis throughout the afternoon, and will be fully open by around 6 this evening.
"

Because there is vans at each location at the entrance to the Motorway and the are currently stopping all traffic from entering the New Motorway and the will all meet each other at Rathmorrissey to go and have a dinner with the council

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

I've just realized that we now have a full ring of Dual Carriageway/Motorway standard road that links Dublin - Athenry - Limerick - Dublin, comprising of M50, M4, M6, M18, and M7. Pretty cool, not that you'd have any use to traverse that route in one go :pac:

Roadfan

Interesting the side effects this motorway will have. Built to reduce journey times on route etc but also looks like providing opportunities for train travellers from North Galway and possible positive impacts on Shannon and Knock airports - and royalties for the Saw Doctors. No news report on this without them playing in the background. Thanks for the lyrics. Didn't really know them. Might download from ITunes - more royalties for the boys from Tuam

what_traffic

paul2013 wrote: »

Because there is vans at each location at the entrance to the Motorway and the are currently stopping all traffic from entering the New Motorway and the will all meet each other at Rathmorrissey to go and have a dinner with the council

Anybody else with the logical answer why they are opening it in a phased fashion between each junction from Gort --> Tuam? Presume it's standard practice but interested in the logic of it.

marno21

M17/M18 Gort to Tuam now open in full according to AA Roadwatch.

ratracer

Fully open there now!

m17

Ireland's biggest roundabout rathmorrissy is all most ready to go just the gardas blocking the slip roads

Middle Man

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

The song is about a young guy emigrating to USA. His father drives him from Tuam to Shannon airport and describes that journey. There is a line in song 'as we turned left at claregalway'. People making the journey to Shannon from Tuam will no longer take that route and just go onto the new motorway in Tuam.

If a similar song was to be written anytime from today, it would probably refer to the N83 into Galway as most people in Tuam will probably remain on the same road for their journeys into the city.

Regarding the reference to turning off, it might be...

When the old fella drove me to Shannon, t'was the last time I saw that road,
as we veered off towards Rathmorrissy, I could feel a lump in my throat...

m17

All open now thank god I would like to thank everyone for a brilliant forum safe driving thanks again yours m17

BelfastVanMan

N83 now.

snowstreams

Now when will google maps update to show the new M18/M17?

WestCoast2017

Any first hand accounts of driving on it?

veryangryman

Can we update the thread title with the glorious words... "OPEN NOW!!"

Middle Man

WestCoast2017 wrote: »

Any first hand accounts of driving on it?

OSM has it when you zoom up fairly close...

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/53.5082/-8.8807