N6 - Athlone Bypass Upgrade works

veryangryman

This argument has been covered but..

The town centre route is an alternative. How does non-motorway traffic go to Dublin airport for instance?

I still dream of the day they ban tractors (and enforce the ban) from this road. Its most visible during the works the inconvenience (and safety hazard) they cause by being there.

And to this day i STILL dont get why they do it - there is no time saving going 40-50kmph on a longer distance when they could average this speed through town.

Those who argue that theyd hold up traffic in town..poppycock. You cant go that fast in the town anyway so its complete bull to suggest they slow the town down.

roosterman71

veryangryman wrote: »

This argument has been covered but..

The town centre route is an alternative. How does non-motorway traffic go to Dublin airport for instance?

I still dream of the day they ban tractors (and enforce the ban) from this road. Its most visible during the works the inconvenience (and safety hazard) they cause by being there.

And to this day i STILL dont get why they do it - there is no time saving going 40-50kmph on a longer distance when they could average this speed through town.

Those who argue that theyd hold up traffic in town..poppycock. You cant go that fast in the town anyway so its complete bull to suggest they slow the town down.

I think its the sheer size of them that would slow the town down.

Chris_5339762

Athlone should have another bridge anyway.

KevR

Click thumbnails for full size images

Junction 9 looking West [Thursday, 21/04/2011]


Junction 10 looking West down along the Eastbound off-ramp [Friday, 22/04/2011]


Junction 10 looking West [Friday, 22/04/2011]

roosterman71

roosterman71 wrote: »

I think its the sheer size of them that would slow the town down.

Definitely, some sections of the high street are too narrow for two lorries to pass.

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Athlone should have another bridge anyway.

Barring an (another) economic miracle, that simply isn't going to be built ever! If anything traffic flows are beginning to reduce rather than increase.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

If anything traffic flows are beginning to reduce rather than increase.

In Athlone? Really? I have to say im not noticing it. Roads in and out of town are very packed most days.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

In Athlone? Really? I have to say im not noticing it. Roads in and out of town are very packed most days.

I've noticed that whenever I've had the misfortune to have to go into the town that the queue from the barracks is shorter than a couple of years ago.

Not an easy one to call, right now there may be a slight increase due to some dodging the roadworks.

KevR

Saw a GoSafe van joining the bypass Westbound from J9 and it looked as though it was driving well above the 50kmh speed limit :rolleyes:

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Saw a GoSafe van joining the bypass Westbound from J9 and it looked as though it was driving well above the 50kmh speed limit :rolleyes:

Just imagine the irony if a Garda traffic car stopped it!

Anyway, it proves that even GoSafe drivers understand the dangers of complying with a stupidly placed limit!

KevR

Junction 9 Eastbound off-ramp closed when I passed by at lunchtime today.

Photo from J9 overbridge today, looking West

dubhthach

All this talk of Tractors and Athlone, be careful folks ye might invoke the spirit of Mysterious and the mythical 10k Tractors a day! -- we wouldn't want a "Candyman incident"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxsCUTDVgWI

I bet he won't complain about being stuck behind the last one.

KevR

Was walking home from the City Link bus stop at AIT last night and there was some work being done at J9 at roughly 00:00! I think they were doing some work with the temporary contra-flow barriers.

Zubeneschamali

KevR wrote: »

work being done at J9 at roughly 00:00!

I live within earshot of the bypass, and I often hear machinery banging away past midnight.

Going east (very early) this morning, I saw that the contraflow between J9 & 10 had just been removed and work was inprogress to put the contraflow in between J8 & 9 (between Garrycastle & Kilmartin roundabout).

The speed restrictions end in the middle of the works! :eek::rolleyes:

That is crazy.. half way through the roadworks the speed limit is signed back up to 100kmh, and most of the road that is clear of works is still signed at 50.

There can only be one person who could have planned it this way!

antoobrien

Deleted User wrote: »

Going east (very early) this morning, I saw that the contraflow between J9 & 10 had just been removed and work was inprogress to put the contraflow in between J8 & 9 (between Garrycastle & Kilmartin roundabout).

If the original docs they put up are to be believed, they're supposed to be on the second section of contraflow for westbound traffic at this stage (I make it about 4-6 weeks behind). Is there any sign that this will improve, or are we (still) looking at 6-8 weeks late for final completion?

antoobrien

antoobrien wrote: »

If the original docs they put up are to be believed, they're supposed to be on the second section of contraflow for westbound traffic at this stage (I make it about 4-6 weeks behind). Is there any sign that this will improve, or are we (still) looking at 6-8 weeks late for final completion?

I can't see them making up that time now without doubling up a couple of sections of work, but the disruption caused by having more than two junctions partially closed would be too much.

It will just finish late, I suppose.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

I can't see them making up that time now without doubling up a couple of sections of work, but the disruption caused by having more than two junctions partially closed would be too much.

It will just finish late, I suppose.

In fairness, its bearable at the moment (and for the forseeable future). Only when they get beyond Coosan on the way back will the pooh hit the fan again

roosterman71

I think its better when the full length of the bypass is down to one lane. You don't have as much merging trouble from 2 to 1 lane

flazio

Except you get prick holes who think they can undertake you the whole length of a hard shoulder just because they joined on one exit and are coming back off the next exit. That's only allowed between junctions 10 and 11 folks.

veryangryman

flazio wrote: »

Except you get prick holes who think they can undertake you the whole length of a hard shoulder just because they joined on one exit and are coming back off the next exit. That's only allowed between junctions 10 and 11 folks.

:rolleyes: Whatever...

Personally i dont think it makes any difference to others in the queue. If anything it lessens the queue for the longer distance travellers as those only taking exit 9-10 for instance are out of the way quicker.

And before you mention the emergency services, breakdowns etc, I have to point out that numerous tractor drivers use this too. Feel free to call them prick holes - at least i'm on and off in seconds

billbond4

I see there was only 3 submissions made to westmeath co co about the N6 works. I thought there would have been more.
Maybe people do like traffic lights after all

billbond4

billbond4 wrote: »

I see there was only 3 submissions made to westmeath co co about the N6 works. I thought there would have been more.
Maybe people do like traffic lights after all

One of them was mine...
Is that all:rolleyes:

billbond4

and I was the other one.
Seemly there wont be traffic lights on the roscommon junctions.

billbond4

Heres the report on the submissions
http://www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/media/Item%208%20-%20Part%208%20N6%20Athlone%20Relief%20Road%20Overlay%20and%20Rehabilitation%20May%202011.pdf

whyulittle

Anyone notice the newly laid eastbound carraigeway (between J9 and J8 at least) is significantly lower than the westbound?

whyulittle

whyulittle wrote: »

Anyone notice the newly laid eastbound carraigeway (between J9 and J8 at least) is significantly lower than the westbound?

Cam't say I've noticed, it could be the camber of the curve that you've noticed now the greenery from the central reservation has gone.

KevR

Junction 9 looking East (Thursday, 02/06/2011)

Click thumbnail for full size image

Yep! the resurfacing works have started on the westbound carriageway now, will be interesting to see how the works on the central reservation are carried out.

flazio

If theoretically the resurface of the west bound lane took the same time as the east bound works, when would the surfacing finish up?