M3 Clonee-Kells Motorway construction updates

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Annual Average Daily Traffic. You call yourself a road nerd??

Think Furet was prob asking on what basis it is calculated more so I would think.

Hi all, this is my first post on here, I’ve been reading this thread and a few other threads (M7, M8, M9 Waterford by-pass) over the last few weeks, they’re all great discussions. More photos please too.

Has anyone any news on the opening of the new R125, which is now late as its listed [URL="p://www.eurolink-m3.ie/traffic_diversions.html"]here[/URL] to open on July 09. It’s now looking like it will open early September. I think its Meath County Council which is delaying this opening. The new R125 was ready by mid to late June, barriers, signs and lighting erected, lines painted, the full works - It was even noted here by IIMII on the 14-04-09 too.

I’ve been watching the progress of the M3 and the related works around the M3 from the start. Over the last year or so, Meath County Council has also been doing lots of work with water mains in the Dunshaughlin area. Two pump sites were installed on the old R125 road at each side of the M3 for a water main which supplies Drumree. There must have installed a new water main under the M3 which will make the existing water main redundant so that the M3 can cut through the old R125 road. However, work on the two sites stop a few months ago and it was early July before work started again on the two pump sites. I’m guessing that Meath County Council wouldn’t sign off on the new R125 as this would put them under pressure from Eurolink to get the water main finished, as Eurolink would be looking to remove the section of the old R125 road which is crossing the M3. I think Meath County Council told Eurolink that they’re not happy with the embankments on the new R125 to buy them time to finish the water main, because work started again by Eurolink in late July raising the height of the embankments. I walked this road in late June and the embankments were built up at that stage to a height which would very much limit car drivers’ views of the bordering fields the new embankment height, looks like it will limit lorry drivers’ views of the bordering fields. Even the crash barrier near the Dunshaughlin end roundabout is almost buried by the embankment now.

If anyone knows what the true story is, please can you enlighten us all with it? As, if Meath County Council are delaying things, will they continue to delay the progress of the M3 put the grand opening of the M3 (scheduled for July 2010) in jeopardy.

Sorry, I didn’t get off to a good start! I should’ve checked the links before submitting, time was against me yesterday and I just copied and pasted the links in very quickly (too quickly). I’ve also noticed the date (14-04-09) relating to the second link on the above post is wrong too, should have read 16-05-2009 (post no.68). Hope my post hasn’t lost creditably, but it was my first post.

Hi Furet, firstly best of luck in your new role.

I wonder could I be so bold (as I’m a new comer) in suggesting a merger of two threads!

M3 Motorway and M3 progress

M3 Motorway
M3 progress

It’s only a suggestion, because I was thinking some other motorway threads have a lot more activity than the M3 threads, which I’m surprised at as the M3 stretches a good distance (Clonee to Kells) and had such a controversial route. So maybe it these two threads were merged we could get more discussions going.

Hey hey settle down on the lack of photos there is only so much one man can do:D:D

V Angry Man (very apt by the way) just because we aint go mysterious and the boys over here whinging like little school boys with the crayola on google maps does not mean there is no interest sometimes it is far better to listen (or in this case read) than talk

veryangryman wrote: »

You can easily put projects like M24/25, Galway Outer Bypass and Newlands Cross over this in terms of need.

Agreed. I'd put the M20 and M18/17 (Gort->Tuam) in there too.

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Maybe not M24, theres no need whatsoever for motorway from Limerick to Waterford Even 2+2 is a little overkill.

2+2 isn't overkill - you need to be able to safely overtake and dual carriageway would be needed considering a) new road would mean more traffic using it (the existing road is bad enough to hinder commerce/journeys) and b) you'd have even more cross-country freight using the N24 if it was upgraded - i.e. more trucks.

2+1 is pretty inadequate and doesn't make sense for new build. It doesn't even seem to make sense for WS2 (wide two lane) upgrade, or even S2 (standard two lane) with hard shoulder (look at Nenagh bypass fitting motorway nevermind 2+2). I suspect 2+1 is only useful for situations you might get in other countries of decently built but basic S2 with hard strip, or WS2 with no hard shoulder. A lot of our WS2 or S2 a) has hard shoulder enough to allow 2+2, or b) is a dodgy falling apart alignment for which a 2+1 or 2+2 upgrade is wasted money (or at best a safety feature for right turns).

I agree M24 is not necessary for probably even the long term, although it potentially could eventually be as justifiable as e.g. southern M9.

veryangryman wrote: »

With the risk of trolling..

I think that the reason affore-mentioned user(s) are not out with the crayons is because the road itself is probably not that bad all in all. Its the waste and un-necessity of this vanity project that I would question. You can easily put projects like M24/25, Galway Outer Bypass and Newlands Cross over this in terms of need.

N3 has DC all the way to Clonee. Anyone who lives further back from the smoke can either manage going through Dunshaughlin or god forbid, get a job in Navan/Kells.:eek:

Yeah I know, the horror.

Realistically Dunshauglin needed a bypass - and logically it'd be a DC, likely it'd have continued south to bypass that village south of Dunshauglin who's name escapes me - and at there it'd have been fairly pointless not to throw a DC to join the existing one.

The northern sections of the M3 are over spec, though.

I haven't clicked the link yet Furet but I'm guessing it's gotta be N17 by The Saw Doctors

Just went to limerick there and all motorway signs up everywhere. Looks great but just wondering now about learner drivers, will they have to take by roads now getting into the major cities :pac:

Webmonkey wrote: »

Just went to limerick there and all motorway signs up everywhere. Looks great but just wondering now about learner drivers, will they have to take by roads now getting into the major cities :pac:

The former national routes aren't bye roads! And their accompanying driver can just take over, anyway.

Too true