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The unquestionable solution to the Tara / M3 woes

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    #2
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    sure. Point out the auld 500 foot drop to build across and I'll take you seriously.


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    #3
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,967 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    MDTyKe wrote:
    Simple.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct
    Explain the relevance please?


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    #4
    MDTyKe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭MDTyKe


    My point was, to build the road on 'stilts' over Tara area. Very possible.


    Matt


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    #5
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,282 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    But you would still need to make huge holes in the ground for the foundation and the viaduct would be an unwelcome contrast to the open nature of the Tara landscape.


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    #6
    JupiterKid
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,618 Mod ✭✭✭✭JupiterKid


    Using the current line of the M3 motorway, the ideal solution to the Tara/Lismullin controversy would be to deep tunnel under the area for about 2 km but of course this would be prohibitively expensive.

    The M3 should never have been built on its current alignment - it should have taken the line of the N2 Ashbourne road/bypass and forked off to Navan via Kentstown. That way the new upgraded N2 would serve Ashbourne AND Navan and the M3 could avoid the Tara area altogether.


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    #7
    Navan Junction
    Closed Accounts Posts: 721 ✭✭✭Navan Junction


    MDTyKe wrote:
    My point was, to build the road on 'stilts' over Tara area. Very possible.


    Matt
    Problem is that though that might address some of the excavtion considerations in relation to the archaeological aspects, it would be a visual intrusion down the centre of the valley.

    And of course, the point made often enough is that Tara was the area around the hill, through the Valley and over to Skryne - the consideration there was to maintain the historical cohesiveness of the area, which might otherwise be disrupted by a major road going through it.

    Interestingly, I've often been surprised that if you didn't want the motorway going through the valley for that last reason, that you would be in favour of expanding the existing road to a 2+1 as that in itself would increase traffic levels through the valley.

    Ironically, a new road could have reduced traffic levels in the valley but only if it went along a different route. And in that respect either a new 2+1 or a motorway could have achieved that, as long as it didn't go between the hills of Tara and Skryne

    The whole thing is very messy and more often than not become a pro/anti-motorway (and not nessessarily on just the M3 itself but on motorways in general), rather than on viability, catchment areas, value for money, and frequently on what might be best for Tara itself.

    If your real aim was to presrve the Tara area, you'd be welcoming any type of new road once it didn't run through the valley. But that isn't happening

    Just in relation to the bridge idea - one of the proposals to mitagate the visual effects of the M3 through the valley is to screen the road and sink it into the ground - keeping it off the ground might address some considerations in part (archaeology), but would present problems in other respects (visual impact on the landscape)


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    #8
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,967 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    MDTyKe wrote:
    My point was, to build the road on 'stilts' over Tara area. Very possible.
    Matt

    Matt your goal is honourable but you're totally over-engineering it. The obviously simpler solution (and the one that would cause the absolute least amount of intrusion) is simply to route the road somewhere else.

    Ockam's Razor!


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    #9
    Tea drinker
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Tea drinker


    Yeah I kinda thought about the stilts thing too.
    Another advantage of stils is the lack of interaction with the environment. In other words they don't split the fields / bog / forest they go through. I was reading an article recently about something similar, and it seems a decline in genetic diversity is a precursor/companion to endangerment.
    so if they "field" is split, you halve the genetic diversity on both sides.

    But a bridge for tara? we could never do something like that here.
    Firstly we would have to double the price to build it per km, then charge 1000 euro to use it.


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    #10
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Navan Junction wrote:
    Just in relation to the bridge idea - one of the proposals to mitagate the visual effects of the M3 through the valley is to screen the road and sink it into the ground - keeping it off the ground might address some considerations in part (archaeology), but would present problems in other respects (visual impact on the landscape)

    Navan - exactly what is being proposed on the expanded A 303 a major trunk road in the south of England which passes Stonehenge (about 400 metres from the stones themselves) - The A 303 will be a HQDC, not motorway and will carry a volume of traffic way in excess of the M3. You'd think they might have considered this option as soon as the rumblings about Tara started....


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    #11
    Chris_533976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,082 ✭✭✭Chris_533976


    I think a great idea along the same lines of sanity as the OP would be to have traffic lights at the end of the motorway where all the cars stop. Then the road is mounted on powerful hydraulics that catapaults the cars over Tara to the rest of the road.

    No problems, international tourist attraction.


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    #12
    spacetweek
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,967 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    Chris_533976 wrote:
    I think a great idea along the same lines of sanity as the OP would be to have traffic lights at the end of the motorway where all the cars stop. Then the road is mounted on powerful hydraulics that catapaults the cars over Tara to the rest of the road.

    No problems, international tourist attraction.
    Best post of the month. :)


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    #13
    Tea drinker
    Registered Users Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭Tea drinker


    Just make it big enought to handle all the stretched limo's and we will be fine :D


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    #14
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    One of the points agaisnt the motorway on it's current route is the light polution and the ruining of the sights and landscape.


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    #15
    Bards
    Registered Users Posts: 2,712 ✭✭✭Bards


    Chris_533976 wrote:
    I think a great idea along the same lines of sanity as the OP would be to have traffic lights at the end of the motorway where all the cars stop. Then the road is mounted on powerful hydraulics that catapaults the cars over Tara to the rest of the road.

    No problems, international tourist attraction.

    This is just as mad... except its for canal boats

    http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/falkirk/falkirkwheel/index.html


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