N6 - Athlone Bypass Upgrade works

Empire o de Sun

Wild Bill wrote: »

Similar blind spot by the NRA on the M11 Bray bypass. 1km dark stretch in a continuously lit Motorway/DC stretching from north of Swords to the Glen of the Downs (40 miles)

looks like your odometer isn't working ~ 75 km

Wild Bill

According to the AA site it is 67.7 km (37.7 miles) from Lissenhall to the Glen.
That's close enough to round off to "40 miles"?

Maybe the AA odes are malfunctioning?

billbond4

They could do with putting up a few more wrong way turn back signs on the slip roads as well.
I met a lad coming against me near J13(monksland) on saturday night, I was going westbound and he was going eastbound in the same carriageway, I would love to know where he got on the road!!
I rang the cops on the old codger, I didnt hear of any accident so hopefully either he managed to turn around or the cops got him

billbond4

billbond4 wrote: »

They could do with putting up a few more wrong way turn back signs on the slip roads as well.
I met a lad coming against me near J13(monksland) on saturday night, I was going westbound and he was going eastbound in the same carriageway, I would love to know where he got on the road!!
I rang the cops on the old codger, I didnt hear of any accident so hopefully either he managed to turn around or the cops got him

Chances are he had a few jars and forgot that the road layout changed after the Ballinasloe motorway was opened! :rolleyes:

You can't stop stupidity like that with extra signs!

Centre lane barriers on the short section of single carriageway between the roundabout and the LILO would help, but some drivers can't be helped, only a crash stops them!

Driving eastbound mid-morning I saw a VMS warning that the hardshoulder was closed ahead for pipelaying, I didn't see any work as I left at Coosan.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

Driving eastbound mid-morning I saw a VMS warning that the hardshoulder was closed ahead for pipelaying, I didn't see any work as I left at Coosan.

Nothing there when i passed either

Worse than that, N61 north after Ganleys a VMS for stop and go system ahead

I drove all the way to Crossmolina without seeing such a stop and go....

whyulittle

There was an interesting little aside in an article in the Westmeath Independent this week. The main article is about a big re-zoning plan in Athlone (previous articles here).

Tara Spain on behalf of the National Roads Authority:
Called for a Strategic Transport Assessment to be carried out in consultation with the NRA and CIE.

The manager (County) in his reply detailed the following strategy:

Traffic capacity improved at Creggan (Kilmartin's) roundabout.

Junction improvements to the M6 motorway and N6 bypass.

Athlone bypass to be upgraded to dual three-lanes over 4km from Creggan to Coosan junctions.

Old N6 will be upgraded to dual carriageway status between Clonbonny junction and Creggan roundabout.

Widening of the R466 between Creggan roundabout and Athlone Business Park.

The council are also proposing a new development levy to fund a €29 million southern relief road linking Creggan to Golden Island.

Replacing the bridge at Garrycastle would solve many of the problems for a start, hopefully the bypass upgrade will take on board some of those points - like a third lane (aux) between junctions (where possible).

whyulittle

There were a few more points, including Garrycastle road improvement.

The bridge had to go back to public consultation etc after they forgot to leave enough space under it, for eh, trains!

veryangryman

whyulittle wrote: »

There were a few more points, including Garrycastle road improvement.

The bridge had to go back to public consultation etc after they forgot to leave enough space under it, for eh, trains!

What trains? And no they will never reopen that line. Not now, not ever

veryangryman

Bypass needs widening from Coosan to Tuam Exit, not the other side. My god...

Tractors coming to/from Roscommon side are the big problem for safety

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Bypass needs widening from Coosan to Tuam Exit, not the other side. My god...

Tractors coming to/from Roscommon side are the big problem for safety

I suspect that the cost of widening the bridges would be prohibitive.
An extra (aux) lane between the Roscomon and Tuam exits would be welcome.

veryangryman

Deleted User wrote: »

I suspect that the cost of widening the bridges would be prohibitive.
An extra (aux) lane between the Roscomon and Tuam exits would be welcome.

Maybe change the line painting to make narrower lanes ~3M a la M50 upgrade for that short stint. Lose the hard shoulder on the bridge same way port tunnel does

Cheap as chips:pac:

L1011

There is no hard shoulder on the bridge... there's a narrow strip but its not near full width. No space for 3 over that deck.

flazio

I'd love a re design of the Roscommon road exit as the current model is awful. Maybe on the west bound side an off ramp up to a roundabout and a bridge over to the Ganly's roundabout,(closing that awful U Turn) merging with more gradual off lane from the east bound carrigeway. Something along the lines of Junction 14 in Ballinalsoe in other words.

billbond4

--start rant--
More mickying around, after the year it will take them to upgrade the bypass.
Then will will take another year to upgrade the junctions, its no wonder the country is fecked, no communication between government departments and it will be people using the road who will have to suffer, but sure who cares about them.
--end rant--
Anyway I see that they have started the upgrade works starting at junction 13 westbound, i find it strange as its still out to tender.

whyulittle

New signs erected between J8 and J10 (at least).

There was a lorry westbound this morning clearing the drains between J10 and J9.

whyulittle

whyulittle wrote: »

New signs erected between J8 and J10 (at least).

There was a lorry westbound this morning clearing the drains between J10 and J9.

Green ones?

whyulittle

Yep, green ones.

The big sign westbound coming up to J9 has been changed, now has Cavan, Longford and Blyry on a white background. Never pay a whole lot of attention to that exit, so not sure if they were always on it.

Then coming up to the J10 offramp, there is a middle sized sign for Cavan/Athlone (or maybe town centre). Didn't notice if the big size on that stretch was replaced yet.

veryangryman

Wondering about the fact that the upgrade is only on Westmeath side...

Is it just done via county council or is this strictly NRAs baby? It would make sense as to why Roscommon Coco not got finger out...

- Once you hit Roscommon side of Athlone, the roads go all medieval
- Coming from bypass - same thing. Piss-poor junctions up to M6 (which was done via Galway Coco anyway_
- Coming from N5 over Mayo-Ros border, almost the minute you hit Roscommon, the road gets awful

I know that its a backward county (witness the amount of tractors in it) but surely these routes should be improved. What are the council at there?

Compare with Westmeath in recent times

- Current works on bypass for Athlone
- Relief road for Mullingar (which didnt even need it really!)


By the way, please ignore all of the above rant if this is strictly an NRA project. Its Friday and i need an excuse to rave

veryangryman

whyulittle wrote: »

Yep, green ones.

The big sign westbound coming up to J9 has been changed, now has Cavan, Longford and Blyry on a white background. Never pay a whole lot of attention to that exit, so not sure if they were always on it.

Then coming up to the J10 offramp, there is a middle sized sign for Cavan/Athlone (or maybe town centre). Didn't notice if the big size on that stretch was replaced yet.

At the junction, they need to get rid of the "town centre" sign which leads you onto Garycastle Bridge also. Might minimise unnecessary traffic there. Let them use the previous or next exit.*

*And leave the bridge for thrifty locals like me!

whyulittle

Doesn't seem to be much order to the way they are replacing the signs.

The new large sign coming up to Garrycaslte from J8 doesn't mention Athlone or town centre. Not sure what the old small signs say.

The new small sign coming up to Ballymahon Road is signed for Cavan and Athlone. The large sign hasn't been replaced yet.

Coming up to Coosan J11, there are new white signs, no sign of any green.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

Wondering about the fact that the upgrade is only on Westmeath side...

Is it just done via county council or is this strictly NRAs baby? It would make sense as to why Roscommon Coco not got finger out...

- Once you hit Roscommon side of Athlone, the roads go all medieval
- Coming from bypass - same thing. Piss-poor junctions up to M6 (which was done via Galway Coco anyway_
- Coming from N5 over Mayo-Ros border, almost the minute you hit Roscommon, the road gets awful

I know that its a backward county (witness the amount of tractors in it) but surely these routes should be improved. What are the council at there?

Compare with Westmeath in recent times

- Current works on bypass for Athlone
- Relief road for Mullingar (which didnt even need it really!)


By the way, please ignore all of the above rant if this is strictly an NRA project. Its Friday and i need an excuse to rave

Roscommon has a small population relative to the miles of road maintained, so the quality will be lower.

[rant]
btw, agriculture does now equal backward! :mad: The way this country is going, agriculture may be the driver out of the current depression.
[/rant]

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Roscommon has a small population relative to the miles of road maintained, so the quality will be lower.

And yet the old Tuam road (well, still is, but I find M6/N18 quicker now) is far better in Roscommon than in Galway somehow...

Wild Bill

veryangryman wrote: »

- Relief road for Mullingar (which didnt even need it really!)

I can't agree with that - ever been in Mullingar town centre at a busy time? :mad:

veryangryman

Wild Bill wrote: »

I can't agree with that - ever been in Mullingar town centre at a busy time? :mad:

Just saying it is amazing that a town that size got a relief froad which

- doesnt lead to Dublin
- bridges a canal
- was built during a recession

Also the new plan to dual the road in Athlone from N62 birr turn up to Kilmartins while also welcome, is patently not something that should be prioritised

Im sad to say this but now that the Inter Urbans are near complete and bypasses planned of most remaining bottlenecks, I think we should forget about new roads for another long while.

My fantasy wishlist (FWIW)

Roscommon bypass
Ballaghadreen Bypass
Claregalway Relief Road
Link Road improved (N66) Loughrea to Gort, giving Dublin-Athlone-Ennis/Gort bound traffic a full track of "broom broom" road to play with. Makes the occasional trip to stab/Kerry handier also

Wild Bill

veryangryman wrote: »

J
My fantasy wishlist (FWIW)

Roscommon bypass
Ballaghadreen Bypass
Claregalway Relief Road
Link Road improved (N66) Loughrea to Gort, giving Dublin-Athlone-Ennis/Gort bound traffic a full track of "broom broom" road to play with. Makes the occasional trip to stab/Kerry handier also

Well, my wish list would be:
N80; bypasses of Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Stradbally, Carlow, Ballon and Bunclody
N52; Birr, Kilcormac, Delvin, Ardee

From what I can garner from the NRA website the N80 and N52 cross-country roads carry twice the traffic of the N5 west of Longford. :cool:

spacetweek

veryangryman wrote: »

I know that its a backward county (witness the amount of tractors in it)

By the way, please ignore all of the above rant if this is strictly an NRA project. Its Friday and i need an excuse to rave

LOL!

Well your name is veryangryman after all so we cut you slack.

veryangryman

Who puts these signs together?

Black on white for some, white on green for others

Not saying the upgrades a bad thing but a bit of uniformity would have been too much to ask. together with the disastrous blue signage for Exit 13(Tuam/Monksland), we now have 3 different systems, making the bypass a National Road, a Motorway and a Regional road all in one.

Athlone - Where anything is possible. Get there, go anywhere! :cool:

Amtmann

Can someone post pictures of the new signage?