M3 Clonee-Kells Motorway construction updates

IIMII

Yup, and an even better indicator is probably the bridge at the same point.. Can't see the extension of the road to the Dunboyne intersection being done until that bridge is completed..

brandodub

M3 signs now in place as well as no entry signs at Blundelstown dumb bell interchange. Also noticed overbridge in place last week in Navan around the Kilcairn link road area.Any updates as to completion? Will it open at southern end first??

spuddy

Grabbed a few snaps of the Dunboyne by-pass, M3 Pace Interchange & Pace Station

GeneHunt

brandodub wrote: »

....Will it open at southern end first??

I think the whole M3 motorway will open as one complete project (I could be wrong), but I do think a short section from the end of Clonee bypass (at the tie in) to the new Dunboyne junction will open first. I can’t see them closing the M3 back to the Clonee slip road. Clonee would a nightmare if they did. Also by opening M3/N3 to the Dunboyne junction they can close the current N3 at Bracestown business Park, this gives them a very easy tie-in (no traffic management involved) of the current N3 onto the new overpass which is currently under construction near the tie in.

P.S. following the fiasco with the opening date of the M9 Kilcullen to Carlow (today fingers crossed) I can’t see the M3 opening any earlier then June 2010 now. This give Dempsey the change to still say its opening before time and on budget or what ever BS they usually come out it.

GeneHunt

RTE's "Nine News" had a report on tonight on the M3 opening date link is here "M3 to open ahead of schedule"

but the date hasn't changed! July 2010

Sponge Bob

Dempsey must be absolutely desperate for good news of any sort , did he say where all the salt has disappeared to in Meath and it about to snow this week ???

Chris_533976

It was actually quite a resonable report too, which I was surprised about.

NRA chief saying "we dont know" about any more new roads "we'll have to see what the Finance Department say"

munchkin_utd

GeneHunt wrote: »

RTE's "Nine News" had a report on tonight on the M3 opening date link is here "M3 to open ahead of schedule"

but the date hasn't changed! July 2010

Although they did mention that it could be sooner than July if the weather (for laying the top surface) is favourable.

At the very least, they should aim to have it open in time for the Fleadh in cavan in August.
Theres 250,000 people expected to attend so its well in their interest to try and bag some of this business!!

Amtmann

GeneHunt wrote: »

RTE's "Nine News" had a report on tonight on the M3 opening date link is here "M3 to open ahead of schedule"

but the date hasn't changed! July 2010

That's the best motorway news report RTE has ever done, or is ever likely to do. €1.40 for the toll is a very good rate, too.

munchkin_utd

Furet wrote: »

That's the best motorway news report RTE has ever done, or is ever likely to do. €1.40 for the toll is a very good rate, too.

thats 2 x 1.40 though for the whole motorway. They chose 2 smaller tolls rather than 1 large toll to ensure that navan users dont boycott the motorway! 2.80 for a car isnt so cheap.

And as for 2 x 3.30 for trucks! Thats 13 euro for a round trip, or for anyone doing 2 runs in a day to say Dublin port from Kells (or the area north of it) thats 26 euro!
I can see many truck drivers generally opting to stick to the old road and pocket the cash!!!

Amtmann

munchkin_utd wrote: »

thats 2 x 1.40 though for the whole motorway. They chose 2 smaller tolls rather than 1 large toll to ensure that navan users dont boycott the motorway! 2.80 for a car isnt so cheap.

And as for 2 x 3.30 for trucks! Thats 13 euro for a round trip, or for anyone doing 2 runs in a day to say Dublin port from Kells (or the area north of it) thats 26 euro!
I can see many truck drivers generally opting to stick to the old road and pocket the cash!!!

Tolls of €26 or more per plaza (for a car!) are standard on French and Spanish motorways. We gave decades in this country giving out and even writing songs about the atrocious conditions of our main roads. When one factors in the time saving and the improved safety (a consideration which always trumps time-saving in my opinion) offered by the M3, I don't think the toll is particularly high.

CUCINA

Came across an item in this week's Meath Chronicle...tragic incident involving an unfortunate woman who fell from a bridge over the M3 at Ardbraccan last week. Gardai "not treating the death as suspicious".

Sad and ironic that the M3 claims its first fatality even before the road opens...

Stark

What do you mean "claims its first"? Probability is that the road will save many many lives over its lifetime.

veryangryman

I dont claim to know too much about this route but...

Has there been that many fatalities/serious collisions on the current N3? I dont think there has been anywhere near as many as on the old/current non dualler N4/N6/N7 stretches

Have mentioned in previous posts that i feel the bang-for-buck value of this road is undoubtably the poorest (next comes the current M9 scheme btw). When i mentioned this, i meant for the numbers using the road and even the fact that the contractor needed a govt guarantee as they felt like they were taking a punt on getting value from their work. But there is also the safety value-for-money aspect

Purely in terms of accident-prone locations, i feel like i could rhyme off a number of schemes that should have gotten priority over this. Off top of my head, current wishlist for fixing deathtraps includes...

- Claregalway N17 bypass stretch
- Adare
- Castleisland
- Any part of the N5 (take your pick)
- N80 from Tullamore to Carlow
- N52 from Tyrellspass to Mullingar
- Slane bypass
- Gort-Tuam

What are the figures like from Kells-Clonee? I cant imagine they justify Motorway.

Yes i know this is a bit off topic, but i dont think im deviating too much.

L1011

There actually were a lot of deaths in the past, the re-aligned section to allow the M3 to be built on the old roads path has made some of the dangerous junctions in to roundabouts though.

Irish and Proud

GeneHunt wrote: »

RTE's "Nine News" had a report on tonight on the M3 opening date link is here "M3 to open ahead of schedule"

but the date hasn't changed! July 2010

Is RTE run by Meathmen or something? :rolleyes:

...I'm a Meathman myself, but come on!...

...the M3 gets two full minutes of airtime and it's not even opening yet - the opening of M6 Ballinasloe to Galway motorway got not even 20 seconds airtime, even though it meant that Ireland finally had a city to city motorway (albeit with a Cumberland style gap in Athlone). Also, is the Galway project not similar in scale to the M3 - remember the substantial road link from the M6 to Loughrea!

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm very proud of Meath's motorway project and it's great that it got good coverage (good news is rare after all), but fair is fair - Galway has just as much right to being recognised as Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Waterford etc.

Regards!

markpb

Irish and Proud wrote: »

...the M3 gets two full minutes of airtime and it's not even opening yet

RTE are acting as the PR arm of the Dept. of Transport here. I'm sure Dempsey (and the government) needs all the good news it can get right now.

CUCINA

Stark wrote: »

What do you mean "claims its first"? Probability is that the road will save many many lives over its lifetime.

I agree entirely...That's why I said that the fatality was ironic.

emfifty

Spoke to a lady in the Eurolink office today and she said the M3 should be opening in June. Exact date to be confirmed.

KevR

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Is RTE run by Meathmen or something? :rolleyes:

...I'm a Meathman myself, but come on!...

...the M3 gets two full minutes of airtime and it's not even opening yet - the opening of M6 Ballinasloe to Galway motorway got not even 20 seconds airtime, even though it meant that Ireland finally had a city to city motorway (albeit with a Cumberland style gap in Athlone). Also, is the Galway project not similar in scale to the M3 - remember the substantial road link from the M6 to Loughrea!

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm very proud of Meath's motorway project and it's great that it got good coverage (good news is rare after all), but fair is fair - Galway has just as much right to being recognised as Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Waterford etc.

Regards!

The M3 and M6 Galway-Ballinasloe are very similar in scale.

Not that I begrudge the M3 getting that much coverage, it should get that amount. But I was really shocked and disappointed at the coverage the M6 got, both when there was the emergency opening during the floods and when it opened fully.

-Corkie-

A po said there that other road projects wer more important but hes wrong navan and dub should hav had at least a dc 10 years ago. I worked and lived in navan manys a moon ago and at that time it was a dangerous and busy road. The name garlow cross will always stay imprinted in my head!!

CUCINA

Will try to upload some photos I took today of M3 around Clonee/Dunboyne...this one shows where the old Dunboyne one-way bridge used to be, now well and truly knocked.
The last photos I posted on this thread were of this bridge...

CUCINA

And another view of it...

CUCINA

Took photo of ground where I was standing to take the previous shots. This shows close-up of how they bolt down the train track...lost my thought of train here!!

CUCINA

Looking towards Dunboyne end of the track...

CUCINA

Standing on the M3 with my back to the new Clonee bridge

-Corkie-

That road looks nearly ready so. What rail line is that in the pics
Cheers

CUCINA

From the same position, looking to my right, towards the "Hub" on the old N3 (the building with the time/temperature display)

L1011

malcox wrote: »

That road looks nearly ready so. What rail line is that in the pics
Cheers

The under-(re)construction Dublin-Pace line. Its using the trackbed of the former Navan line.

CUCINA

...and finally for now...shot showing the rear of the "Emo" garage on RHS. This is standing on the spot where a house was demolished to make way for this road.
Anyone who might have been stopped in traffic while waiting for the lights to change before driving over the (now demolished) Dunboyne hump-backed bridge towards Dunboyne, would have seen this house, with stables alongside it.
I took photos of this house a couple of years ago, I must check if I them available to post on here...O.O.T.T.F.D's!!!