M3 (Republic of Ireland)
M 3 | |
|---|---|
| Mótarbhealach M3 (Irish) | |
.png) | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 51 km (32 mi) |
| Existed | 2007–present |
| History | Completed in 2010 |
| Component highways |  |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Mulhuddart, County Dublin |
    | |
| To | Kells, County Meath |
| Location | |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Primary destinations | Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Navan, Kells |
| Highway system | |
Part of the old N3 route has been bypassed by the construction of 51 kilometres of new motorway. This stretch of motorway, designated M3, was opened on 4 June 2010. The M3 begins near the end of the dual carriageway outside Clonee and terminates south west of Kells just before the N52. The works were carried out by a joint venture of Ferrovial and SIAC (a local contractor).[1]
The construction scheme did not terminate at this point as a new realigned N3 2+2 non-motorway section continued from the end of the Motorway past Kells before terminating near the County Cavan border. The overall scheme also included the N52 Kells northern bypass. Since completion, the M3 now bypasses Dunshaughlin, Navan, and Kells along with Cavan which was bypassed much earlier.
Controversy
The motorway was contested because the route passes near the Hill of Tara and through the archaeologically rich Tara-Skryne valley or Gabhra.[2] The planned route corridor was approved by An Bord Pleanála (Ireland's planning appeals board) in August 2003.[3][4]
Motorway reclassification
On 30 September 2008, the Department of Transport announced the second round of proposed motorway reclassifications under the Roads Act 2007. A short section of the existing dual-carriageway N3 bypassing Clonee, from northwest of Mulhuddart to the start of the M3 toll motorway scheme, is affected by this. Following a public consultation process, on 10 July 2009 the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, made a Statutory Instrument reclassifying this section of the N3 as motorway effective from 28 August 2009.[5] It was the first section of M3 to come into being.
Motorway project details
- The most expensive single contract road project ever undertaken in Ireland coming in at approximately €650 million according to SIAC.
- It is tolled at two locations, one point north of Navan and another point between Dunshaughlin and Clonee for 45 years running from 2007. The Government have the option to buy out this contract at any time. The price level of tolls are controlled by the Board of the NRA and they can reduce, increase or remove the tolls as they see appropriate. Should they lower the tolls on the M3 the government would have to make up the difference of what is owed yearly to Eurolink M3 Ltd through tax revenue.
- An expected minimum traffic level, growing year-on-year, was agreed as part of the contract, with "Variable Operational Payments" made in lieu of toll revenue to Eurolink M3 if this figure was not reached. These payments were made every year from opening until 2019, with traffic below predicted levels; but it is now expected that no further payments will be required due to traffic growth [6]
- It is the longest single road project ever to be constructed in Ireland including nearly 100 kilometres of new or upgraded road including 49 km of new M3, 10 km of new N3, 20 km of new link roads and interchanges, and approximately 15 kilometres of local road improvements, footpaths, cycle lanes and new bridges.
- It was originally planned to open in 2006.
- An Bord Pleanála initially approved the project on 22 August 2003. Exactly 4 years later, on 22 August 2007, they directed that the excavation of the Lismullin monument did not require fresh planning approval.
Junctions
 | This section contains a table that is missing kilometre posts for one or more junctions. |
The route begins as a dual carriageway at junction 6 of the M50, becoming a motorway after junction 4. It then becomes a dual carriageway after the motorway which terminates at Kells.
| County | km | mi | Junction | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fingal/County Meath | 4 |  R 156 – Clonee, Damastown, Dunboyne
|
Junction is split across county boundary.
Continues as N3. | |||
| County Meath | 5 |  R 157 – Dunboyne, Ratoath (R155)
|
Trim (R154), Park and Ride | |||
 M3 Southern Toll
| ||||||
| 6 |  R 125 ‒ Dunshaughlin, Trim
|
Kilcock (R154) | ||||
| 7 |  R 147 ‒ Skryne, Johnstown, Navan (northbound)
Skryne, Kilmessan (southbound) |
|||||
| 8 | R 147 ‒ Navan (South)
|
|||||
| 9 | N 51 ‒ Delvin, Navan (North)
|
Athboy, Navan Hospital | ||||
| M3 Northern Toll
| ||||||
| 10 | R 147 ‒ Kells (South)
|
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| N 52 ‒ Mullingar, Delvin, Dundalk
|
Motorway terminates at roundabout. Junction number not signposted.
Continues as N3 dual carriageway. | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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- ^ "State paid €2m in 2015 to privately run tolled motorway". Irish Times. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Conor Newman (2015) ‘In the way of development: Tara, the M3 and the Celtic Tiger’, in Meade, R. and Dukelow, F. (eds.) Defining Events: Power, resistance and identity in twenty-first century Ireland, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 32-50.
- ^ Eileen Battersby (26 May 2007). "Is nothing sacred?". The Irish Times.
- ^ Glenn Frankel (22 January 2005). "In Ireland, Commuters vs. Kings". The Washington Post. p. A01. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ Dempsey, Noel (2 July 2009). "ROADS ACT 2007 (DECLARATION OF MOTORWAYS) ORDER 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ "Statement to the Public Accounts Committee: Michael Nolan, Chief Executive, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)" (PDF). Public Accounts Committee. 22 March 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2018.