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

veryangryman

Sam Russell wrote: »

Pictures are great, but I do notice the lack of traffic.



It is not scorn, just a fact that the M17/M18 does appear empty in the photos. The same absence of traffic affects the M6 west of Athlone, the M7 past the split for the M8, and the also level of traffic on the M9. (Well that is my experience, but I do not travel on any of these roads during commuting time).

The M20 might also be light outside of commuting time, but until it is built, we will not know.

These roads are 10 or less years old. For them to be approaching capacity already would indicate a failure to anticipate growth, reacting to todays problem rather than tomorrows. I'm all for future-proofing.

Pretty much every Dublin project (see M50, PPT opening, M50 widening, Luas BXD, Naas widening will also be maxed out ) has been choc a bloc since day 1, showing no foresight whatsoever.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Pretty much every Dublin project (see M50, PPT opening, M50 widening, Luas BXD, Naas widening will also be maxed out ) has been choc a bloc since day 1, showing no foresight whatsoever.

and more importantly, to shows a basic lack of planning with respect to the relative locations of places of work to where people can live.

The simple fact that so many have to commute so far each and every day is disgraceful, businesses that rely on their staff having IT skills can be located anywhere in the country, there is absolutely no reason for them all to be in one place.

Sam Russell

veryangryman wrote: »

These roads are 10 or less years old. For them to be approaching capacity already would indicate a failure to anticipate growth, reacting to todays problem rather than tomorrows. I'm all for future-proofing.

Pretty much every Dublin project (see M50, PPT opening, M50 widening, Luas BXD, Naas widening will also be maxed out ) has been choc a bloc since day 1, showing no foresight whatsoever.

The N7 is a lot older - I think more than 35 years since the first bit bypassing Naas and was finally completed about 2010, but most was built before 2000.

The real requirement is for PT in Dublin, namely Metrolink, Dart Underground, and Dart expansion. Maybe a few Luas lines as well, but do the others first.

M20 - yes we need that as well, and sort out the Cork area.

steeler j

Kevwoody wrote: »

Brace yourselves for the M20 fan club to pour scorn on the empty M17/18.

it is great to see new roads being done no matter where they are done because there all needed
it is a pity the n20 wasn't ready to go within a few months after this was finished

BelfastVanMan

steeler j wrote: »

Kevwoody wrote: »

Brace yourselves for the M20 fan club to pour scorn on the empty M17/18.

it is great to see new roads being done no matter where they are done because there all needed
it is a pity the n20 wasn't ready to go within a few months after this was finished

My sentiments, exactly.

m17

Gort 01/03/18

m17

The m18 at coldwood 01/03/18

m17

Rathmorrisy 01/03/18

Vodafone mast along the route rejected due to potential danger to drivers if it fell over

https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/vodafone-athenry-tower-rejected/

Proposed location https://www.townlands.ie/galway/clare/lackagh/belleville/caherateemore-south/

snowstreams

The signal is dreadful along large sections of the motorway for all networks alright.

There used to be a lot of 'no mast' signs on the old road from Athenry to tuam. So im sure there will be plenty of objections for all sorts of reasons.

irishgrover

Sam Russell wrote: »

.....Pictures are great, but I do notice the lack of traffic

am based on Galway, wife is from Limerick, and I work in Limerick. So we use the road a lot, but as use it for commuting and wife uses outside of commuting hours.
She had meeting in SNN at 9am last week and drove down.... first thing she said when I spoke to her afterwards was "Holy crap, the road is busy in the mornings..."

snowstreams

irishgrover wrote: »

... I work in Limerick..."

I did wonder if the commute to limerick is a lot easier now with the motorway.

I suppose if its busy at those times, it still moves fast so its still quite an easy commute?

irishgrover

snowstreams wrote: »

I did wonder if the commute to limerick is a lot easier now with the motorway.

I suppose if its busy at those times, it still moves fast so its still quite an easy commute?

yes, it's a great commute

m17

The m17 at Annagh Hill footbridge 05/04/19 looking towards rathmorrisy

Looking towards tuam

The footbridge

Bridge plate

flazio

Quick question, I notice the distance markers for Tuam on the Annagh Hill roundabout have a bolt over 14. What did it say before?

m17

flazio wrote: »

Quick question, I notice the distance markers for Tuam on the Annagh Hill roundabout have a bolt over 14. What did it say before?

what_traffic

m17 wrote: »

Looking towards tuam

Is that a bird or a UFO in that pic?

Sam Russell

what_traffic wrote: »

Is that a bird or a UFO in that pic?

A bird - a crow I think.

JCX BXC

AA Roadwatch: "It’s unusually heavy both ways heading into Clarinbridge - especially coming from the Galway City side with a tailback of about 3km. This is the main N67 route which is the Old N18"

M18 worked well I see 😑

JCX BXC

JCX BXC wrote: »

AA Roadwatch: "It’s unusually heavy both ways heading into Clarinbridge - especially coming from the Galway City side with a tailback of about 3km. This is the main N67 route which is the Old N18"

M18 worked well I see 😑

I really don't understand this. From the clinic RAB it's about 6 mins to Rathmorrisey, then a straight run south. Why on earth are people still taking the old road, especially at peak times

marno21

FFS. Even if Clarinbridge was bad enough for a 1km tailback it would be faster to take the M18. I can understand people taking the old N17 but this persistance with using the old N18 is bizarre.

steeler j

Deleted User wrote: »

I really don't understand this. From the clinic RAB it's about 6 mins to Rathmorrisey, then a straight run south. Why on earth are people still taking the old road, especially at peak times

is that all it is ,I don't know why any one wouldn't go that way if it's only 6 mins

loyatemu

marno21 wrote: »

FFS. Even if Clarinbridge was bad enough for a 1km tailback it would be faster to take the M18. I can understand people taking the old N17 but this persistance with using the old N18 is bizarre.

people heading for the Burren area - Lisdoon etc?

Sam Russell

loyatemu wrote: »

people heading for the Burren area - Lisdoon etc?

... and forming a 3 km tailback in the morning? I did not know it was such a tourist draw.

AugustusMinimus

Disastrous route selection all round on this scheme. Motorway should have swung much closer to Galway City.

A lesson for those with an M8 Cork Limerick Route agenda.

serfboard

JCX BXC wrote: »

M18 worked well I see

Since it removed nine thousand cars a day from Clarinbridge, then I would say it worked very well.

The fact that there are still traffic jams in Clarinbridge could be due to:

a) Drivers heading to Ardrahan and points south who choose to get stuck in traffic.

b) Thanks to the atrocious "planning" around Galway (also known as getting your local TD to circumvent planning laws), there are large numbers of car-dependent people living in one-off houses between Oranmore and Ardrahan/Kinvara who the motorway could never serve.

c) People who live in Ballindereen/Kinvara and North Clare who still take the N67. This could have been alleviated if junction 17 had been built at Owenbristy, where it would have joined the R347 for Kinvara/North Burren as well as Ardrahan.

wotzgoingon

serfboard wrote: »

This could have been alleviated if junction 17 had been built at Owenbristy, where it would have joined the R347 for Kinvara/North Burren as well as Ardrahan.

Typical of this country leave out vital junctions.

steeler j

would a slip road south of Clarinbridge ease the problem or one north and another south off Kilcolgan?

marno21

serfboard wrote: »

Since it removed nine thousand cars a day from Clarinbridge, then I would say it worked very well.

The fact that there are still traffic jams in Clarinbridge could be due to:

a) Drivers heading to Ardrahan and points south who choose to get stuck in traffic.

b) Thanks to the atrocious "planning" around Galway (also known as getting your local TD to circumvent planning laws), there are large numbers of car-dependent people living in one-off houses between Oranmore and Ardrahan/Kinvara who the motorway could never serve.

c) People who live in Ballindereen/Kinvara and North Clare who still take the N67. This could have been alleviated if junction 17 had been built at Owenbristy, where it would have joined the R347 for Kinvara/North Burren as well as Ardrahan.

Fully agree with the R347 point. It would have been far more sensible than the current connectivity the N67 has. The present arrangement basically encourages N67-bound traffic to use the old N18.

irishgrover

marno21 wrote: »

Fully agree with the R347 point. It would have been far more sensible than the current connectivity the N67 has. The present arrangement basically encourages N67-bound traffic to use the old N18.

Agreed....also there are many many people who live in Kinvara/clarinbridge/Oranmore area that work in Limerick/Shannon/Ennis .....they are not going to travel via athenry in either direction