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

Sam Russell

serfboard wrote: »

It doesn't.

Critics, including those on this thread, could, if they were bothered, look up the road statistics, which can be found here.

And what those will tell you is that eleven thousand vehicles a day are using the M17 (and on Fridays that goes to over fourteen thousand).

So eleven thousand vehicles are using the road every day, but, because we don't see them in the photos, the road is empty ... :rolleyes:

Looking at those statistics, 8,000 on the M17 at Corofin and 11,000 on the old N17 adjacent to that. (The 11,000 figure relates to just North of the M6 at Athenry.) Compares with 40,000 at Dunkettle and 20,000 at Athenry on the East sied of the M6.

Less than 45% of drivers are using the M17 vs those still using the old N17. (8,000 vs 11,000 of 19,000).

South of Ennis its 28,000, and after the Shannon turn off, its 38,000.

The further south you go, the more users. Think how many would be on the M20 from Limerick to Cork if it had been built.

Kevwoody

Sam Russell wrote:

The further south you go, the more users. Think how many would be on the M20 from Limerick to Cork if it had been built.

Can we please give this a rest?

Sam Russell

Consider the topic closed. It is built now and is a good piece of infrastructure.

Lord Glentoran

Sam Russell wrote: »

Consider the topic closed. It is built now and is a good piece of infrastructure.

Looks great. Not much wear on it but a nice little earner for those who sold the land, and for those who supplied the materials, and for those who built it. #ModernOutdoorRelief

red bull

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Looks great. Not much wear on it but a nice little earner for those who sold the land, and for those who supplied the materials, and for those who built it. #ModernOutdoorRelief

Is that not true about all infrastructure in Ireland. I'm from Tuam area and travel regularly to both Limerick and Dublin it's a Godsend. I do agree a motorway is needed from Limerick to Cork so we are all connected

JCX BXC

red bull wrote: »

Is that not true about all infrastructure in Ireland. I'm from Tuam area and travel regularly to both Limerick and Dublin it's a Godsend. I do agree a motorway is needed from Limerick to Cork so we are all connected

I don't want to venture on about the subject particularly as it's been done to death, yes it is great for you and the northwest in general for those who wish to travel south, however it's benefit for Galway-Limerick traffic, arguably the main reason for building the road, is fairly negligible and certainly not a good return for the enormous cost of the motorway. Good example of modern planning. If it has been built even 10km to the west of where it is now it would be much better.

JCX BXC

JCX BXC wrote: »

it's benefit for Galway-Limerick traffic, arguably the main reason for building the road, is fairly negligible and certainly not a good return for the enormous cost of the motorway.

Show us the numbers behind that statement so we can all judge

JCX BXC wrote: »

If it has been built even 10km to the west of where it is now it would be much better.

This old chestnut

If it had, as you say, been built 10km closer to the city it would have ended up snarled up with traffic at the city exit. One only needs to look at the several km long tailbacks from Coolagh to the Oranmore exit to see this.

Putting it further out means it acts as it should, as part of the national motorway network and not simply a dual carriageway designed to fail with gummed up junctions due to being too close to the city

AugustusMinimus

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Show us the numbers behind that statement so we can all judge



This old chestnut

If it had, as you say, been built 10km closer to the city it would have ended up snarled up with traffic at the city exit. One only needs to look at the several km long tailbacks from Coolagh to the Oranmore exit to see this.

Putting it further out means it acts as it should, as part of the national motorway network and not simply a dual carriageway designed to fail with gummed up junctions due to being too close to the city

It wouldn’t have got snarled with traffic if they’d built a proper junction like a partially unrolled cloverleaf.

Building it where they did is a shocking error and post build traffic levels clearly demonstrate this.

irishgrover

AugustusMinimus wrote:

It wouldn’t have got snarled with traffic if they’d built a proper junction like a partially unrolled cloverleaf.

It does not matter how efficient the end junction if there is no where for the traffic to go. It's not like there is congestion at the junction. The traffic from the junction is hitting an already fully saturated road system

dubhthach

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Looks great. Not much wear on it but a nice little earner for those who sold the land, and for those who supplied the materials, and for those who built it. #ModernOutdoorRelief

Sure wasn't Ardnacrusha basically 'Outdoor relief' in the 1920's. Still operational 90 years later, now that's return on investment. It only cost the equivalent to an entire year's of Government expenditure in a period after a civil war which cause huge economic disruption (I imagine there would be blue murder if a modern Gov was to propose equivalent of 2018 spending on one project -- €73.9billion)

Likewise all of these motorways will still be in use (though with patching/maintenance) in the next 50-100 years. If anything with self-driving vehicles they'll probably will end up with lot higher capacity than originally designed for.

m17

The start of the new m18 at gort 06/06/19

m17

Sam Russell wrote: »

Consider the topic closed. It is built now and is a good piece of infrastructure.

This topic will never be closed as I'm still alive

red bull

It's only starting a long life I hope

Sam Russell

m17 wrote: »

This topic will never be closed as I'm still alive

The topic I'm referring to is whether it should have been built. It is built so that topic is closed. Of course, M17, I wish you a long life. Perhaps you might post a few images of the M17 when it is busy, if it ever is.

m17

The m6 5 kms form rathmorrisy 23/05/19


13/06/19

road_high

Really impressed with the new M17- I happened to be up in mayo lately and coming home via the N17/M17 was a boon- great road and really well finished. Just a shame they didn’t extend the Mway all around Tuam rather than cheaper 2+2. Was able to take the N17 and M17 from Claremorris and onto the M6 and back over to Ballinasloe and back down to Kilkenny. Roll on more upgrades as they’re such a transformation

m17

road_high wrote: »

Really impressed with the new M17- I happened to be up in mayo lately and coming home via the N17/M17 was a boon- great road and really well finished. Just a shame they didn’t extend the Mway all around Tuam rather than cheaper 2+2. Was able to take the N17 and M17 from Claremorris and onto the M6 and back over to Ballinasloe and back down to Kilkenny. Roll on more upgrades as they’re such a transformation

It's hard to believe it's open 2 years in 2 weeks time driving tuam to limerick is a god sent

serfboard

road_high wrote: »

Just a shame they didn’t extend the Mway all around Tuam rather than cheaper 2+2.

I have less of a problem with that than I do with the goddamned roundabout they put in at the Tuam South exit, forcing traffic travelling @ 120 km/h to slow down to zero in some cases.

It might be justifiable at the northern end where the road is changing from a 2+2 to a 2-lane road but at the Southern end ...

wotzgoingon

serfboard wrote: »

I have less of a problem with that than I do with the goddamned roundabout they put in at the Tuam South exit, forcing traffic travelling @ 120 km/h to slow down to zero in some cases.

It might be justifiable at the northern end where the road is changing from a 2+2 to a 2-lane road but at the Southern end ...

I agree, there should have been a fly over.

m17

The m17 09/09/19

It's nearly open 2 years and on L925 on sign

m17

This day 2 years ago just before opening

Truckermal

Imagine I spent years going through all those bottlenecks and I've never used the new road yet!

m17

The m17 at corofin 27/09/19

Full story here https://galwaydaily.com/news/three-weeks-of-motorway-roadworks-begin-tomorrow/

Three weeks of motorway roadworks begin tomorrow

Roadworks on the M17 motorway expected to last for three weeks will get underway on Monday.
Single lane closures on the southbound lane of the M17 motorway between Annagh Hill (Junction 19) and Rathmorrisey Interchange (Junction 18) are planned foe the duration of the works.

The hard-shoulder and Lane 1 will be closed to facilitate new drainage works (between marker posts S 8.0 and S 7.5).

salonfire

I didn't realize this was not tolled.

Why is that, when it was a PPP project?

m17

salonfire wrote: »

I didn't realize this was not tolled.

Why is that, when it was a PPP project?

The new ross bypass is also a ppp which is opening in November and that is not tolled

Sam Russell

Tolling on low usage motorways is not much use as the tolls do not raise the minimum to satisfy the PPP payback, so the taxpayer stumps up the difference.

This is true of the Waterford toll, the Limerick tunnel, and the M3 one. So why waste money collecting not enough? Plus they are not popular with voters.

L1011

There is no taxpayer subvention on Waterford and the M3 is now at a traffic level that is unsubsidised

Sam Russell

L1011 wrote: »

There is no taxpayer subvention on Waterford and the M3 is now at a traffic level that is unsubsidised

Good to know that. The M17 and M18 could not sustain a toll regime. The Naas dual carriage way, (Irelands first motorway), later to be the M7, was originally to be tolled but that idea was dropped as political suicide.

The Swiss system is better where you buy a carnet which is attached to your windscreen and that entitles the car to use all motorways - and that applies to foreign vehicles as well. It is about €50 and lasts from Nov for 16 months (I think) and penalties are huge.

Having people sit in a little shed collecting pennies is or the birds.

Geuze

salonfire wrote: »

I didn't realize this was not tolled.

Why is that, when it was a PPP project?

Isn't there a shadow toll on the M17?