M3 Clonee-Kells Motorway construction updates

biffoman

nordydan wrote: »

By the way the Clonee junction at the start of the new motorway is signed as J4, so that should give some indication as to the rest of the M3 ( and N3 inbound)

So where does or will the m3 start from if this is j4

GeneHunt

The route of the N3 (heading towards M50 from the Pace junction) will cross over the M3 at the new bridge (mentioned above - Post 210) then travel towards Clonee to join with R156 (Clone Dunboyne road) at the little roundabout which currently has an access road to the N3 from the R156 (Clonee). This access road will be replaced by a new access road from the roundabout at the flyover nearer to Clonee. This roundabout and the other little one mentioned above are to be replaced with new bigger roundabouts. However, I’m not sure how or when they plan to open this new section of the N3 as the second half of the bridge is only been installed now. I think work will start very soon to join the M3 to the end of dual carriageway and open the M3 as far as the Pace junction and open the Dunboyne by-pass at the same time. This will allow access into Dunboyne from the new by-pass and then temporary close the R156 into Dunboyne from Clonee so as to finish the N3 road and new roundabouts near Clonee.

The old R125 (now numbered L22082) has closed to traffic since last Monday morning (31-08-09) local access from R154 to Drumree only now. Excavation has also started on the old R125 road where it crossed the M3. I believe there is no bridge planned for this location nor is there a need for one, but a pedestrian bridge would be useful there.

nordydan

biffoman wrote: »

So where does or will the m3 start from if this is j4

I think the N3 between the M3 and M50 will be numbered 1-3, as part of a continuous junction numbering strategy

biffoman

thanks,has anyone got any photos from the last few weeks.would like to see how its shaping up.

spuddy

biffoman wrote: »

thanks,has anyone got any photos from the last few weeks.would like to see how its shaping up.

Just got one of the flyover near Dunboyne yesterday, posted here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61964300&postcount=405

CUCINA

I took a photo last week of the Clonee/M3 junction...let's see if I manage to upload it...here goesSTA60617.JPG

CUCINA

That seems to have worked...I took more photos today between the Dunshaughlin and Fairyhouse bridges, will try to upload them here. First one is of a cattle underpass. Just as I was taking the photo, a farmer came along who was taking his dogs for a walk and I had an interesting ten-minute chat with him. I was asking him why it was a dual arrangement and he was telling me that the underpass is going to be used by four farmers (he was one of them). Fencing will be erected to separate the two passageways.
He also said that the builders made the channel for the underpass too deep, so that there is a big drainage problem, meaning that a pump is in use there which I could here in the background. I was asking him if it was going to be a permanent fixture and he said that this was up to him! The NRA want to connect pipework through his land to rectify the problem!
There is another bridge going over the M3 about 100 metres away with no access from the M3 and no roads on either side of it. I noticed this on a previous occassion and wondered what its purpose was. This farmer was telling me that it was built (at a cost of over a million euros) to facilitate a big dairy farmer, to enable him to drive his tractor and cattle over the road.
I will attempt to post a few photos relating to my travels there today in posts to follow shortly, hopefully...

CUCINA

This is the dairy farmer's bridge mentioned above...

CUCINA

This is where they have now cut across ther old Drumree road, looking towards Dunsany direction

CUCINA

Another go at showing photo of where they have cut through the old Drumree road, looking towards Dunsany direction...

CUCINA

Same spot, opposite direction

CUCINA

Ramps on the M3? Let's hope they're temporary!

CUCINA

Neat tiling work under the bridges...hopefully it will stay that way for as long as possible before a pair of graffiti artists decide to have a game of x's and o'o on it!

CUCINA

What's the idea of these holes? You wouldn't have any peace trying to have a game of pitch and putt with cars whizzing along over them at 120 kph, so it can't be that!

BluntGuy

CUCINA wrote: »

Ramps on the M3? Let's hope they're temporary!

Hmm... the cantilever in that particular sign seems to support two panels. Interesting. I wonder how many other cantilevers will follow the same layout.

Thanks for all the snaps.

brandodub

Yes seems to be new 'double' cantilever indeed. Snaps great too thanks again

Stroke Politics

The bridge over the M3 link road on the Borallion road in navan is finally re-opened! This links the Trim Road in Navan and the Dublin Road, and was scheduled to re-open last March! I am very relieved that this small but busy road has finally re-opened, the traffic along this stretch of road has been awful since it closed, especially at school times. Navan LAP 3 has this Boreen to be (controversially) upgraded to a DC AFAIK?

CUCINA

Here's a few more snaps from yesterday around M3, Dunshaughlin area...
this one shows the old Drumree Rd where they have now cut through it (the motorway is going from left to right in this photo).

CUCINA

This photo was taken on the M3 at the Rathbeggan intersection. This particular "blockage" is the only remaining obstacle that would prevent an ordinary car from driving from the Trim Rd access right through to the north Dunboyne link road (assuming permission to do so was granted!).
The new bridge to where the Rathbeggan Rd will be diverted can be seen in the background.

CUCINA

Here's another view of the Rathbeggan Rd. As can be seen, it requires a bit of driving skill to negotiate this fairly ropey roadway!

CUCINA

Last photo...it shows an artificial lake they made near the roundabout overlooking the M3 on the new Trim link/ Drumree road.

L1011

Was working out in mid Meath today and got to see the M3 at multiple points - it really does appear that the southern tie in and handling the road out of Dunboyne that currently crosses its path is far and away the least completed bit.

The D2 (presumably built as part of this overall project) on the N51 out of Navan for the M3 is a great use for passing vehicles you'd otherwise be behind half the way to Athboy - and its not tolled

GeneHunt

The Dunboyne by-pass between N147 (N3) and R156 was open today, not sure went it opened and the 157 from N147 (N3) to Dunboyne is now closed. The next section for the Dunboyne by-pass from the roundabout on the R156 to the R157 towards Maynooth doesn't look like it will be long before that opens too.

L1011

Work seems to have picked up a lot on the roundabout for the southern end of the R156-R157 'bypass' road in the past week or so. I'm presuming that once this is open they're going to close off the existing way from Dunboyne village to the N3 so they can get both the motorway and the railway through its path?

L1011

BluntGuy wrote: »

Hmm... the cantilever in that particular sign seems to support two panels. Interesting. I wonder how many other cantilevers will follow the same layout.

Thanks for all the snaps.

Double panel cantilevers exist all along the N4 Lucan BP upgrade.

BluntGuy

MYOB wrote: »

Double panel cantilevers exist all along the N4 Lucan BP upgrade.

I've actually seen those ones before. There's some on the M50 as well, as far as I remember.

But most of our new motorway schemes with cantilevers only have the single-ones. I'm wondering: how many on the M3 will follow that layout?

spacetweek

CUCINA wrote: »

What's the idea of these holes? You wouldn't have any peace trying to have a game of pitch and putt with cars whizzing along over them at 120 kph, so it can't be that!

Hi Cucina, these holes are for drilling test samples. After they've laid the road they drill small samples out of it so they can examine the cross section of different layers. They measure their thickness, check for material consistency, etc. It's Quality Control.

When I was in the Science Museum in London, they had the original samples they drilled out of the M1 when it opened at the end of the 50s - just like these ones.

CUCINA

Thanks, Spacetweek...curiosity satisfied!
I took a few photos yesterday in and around the end of the Clonee DC, hope to post them on this thread tonight or tomorrow night...

CUCINA

As mentioned above, here are (I hope!) a few photos taken yesterday, all around the new Clonee bridge, at the end of the DCW, with most of them taken facing more or less north, in the direction of Fairyhouse.

CUCINA

Here, level with bridge, old N3 on RHS, you can just see the Topaz garage in the centre of the horizon.