It’s set to open by the end of September.
What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Tuam? The Saw Doctors? Ja Fallon? The ‘original’ home of Galway football? The N17?
Okay, now clear your mind and think about any time you’ve been driving to Gort from there, what’s the first thing you think about? Traffic and lots of it.
Sometimes, it doesn’t even matter what time of the day it is, you’re just guaranteed to be stuck in it.
Claregalway is an absolute nightmare to get through at the best of times and while you’re trying not to lose your mind as you slowly crawl in the midday rush, you ask yourself why on earth The Saw Doctors decided to write such a great song about such a frustrating piece of tarmac.
You’d think that once you get onto the N18 that things would change but you would be extremely wrong. Clarinbridge causes just as much chaos and if you can make it to Gort in your car without shedding one tiny spec of road rage, then you deserve some sort of knighthood.
Thankfully, that is all set to change with the introduction of a new stretch of motorway connecting Tuam and Gort.
According to the Connacht Tribune, the new Gort to Tuam M17 motorway is due to officially open, ahead of schedule on September 27.
The new motorway will avoid that dreaded length of road between Claregalway and Clarinbridge as this map points out.
*Black route is old road and Green and Blue is the new motorway.
All information on the road including pictures can be found on the Tuam to Gort motorway website.
Will there be a new Saw Doctors song in its honour? We hope so.
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