M3 Fairyhouse Cross Trim Road Closure

slystone

It appears that the NRA in its wisdom has decided to close access to the Trim Road from the M3 at Blackbull. As a commuter, If you want to get to Batterstown you will have to exit at Pace/Dunboyne, negotiate the roundabouts, local traffic, travel to Blackbull/Fairyhouse Cross roundabout to get down onto the Trim Road.

It seems that a deliberate decision has been made to make it difficult for local commuters to get to the Trim Road. This decision, was obviously made to the detriment of any commuters living down the Trim Road in favour of the Toll Operators. I'm sure the NRA will argue that this exit needs to be closed to avoid commuters using the Trim road as a rat run to avoid the toll. This is a perverse logic when one considers the volume of traffic that already uses this road.

Meath commuters be damned. Toll operators take precidence, This is a disgrace. Especially, when it would have been easy and logical to put a slip road exit onto the Trim Road from the M3.

Don't know what can be done now but it is storing up a whole heap of commuter misery for people.

In addition, this junction also destoys the old Dublin-Navan rail line alignment. Mr. Dempsey, you might talk a good talk, but when all is said and done the average Meath commuter will be worse off under your watch. Incompetence or deceit, take you pick.

highdef

The current route you are taking is not much different to the route you took before the M3 construction began so it's not really much of a detour. Also, the current traffic levels will drop substantially once the motorway opens as the road will merely function as a link road rather than a national route as is the case at present.
As for the rail alignment, tunnels have been put in place and on the motorway and there should be little issue with train tracks being laid.

D'Peoples Voice

slystone wrote: »

In addition, this junction also destoys the old Dublin-Navan rail line alignment. Mr. Dempsey, you might talk a good talk, but when all is said and done the average Meath commuter will be worse off under your watch. Incompetence or deceit, take you pick.[/FONT]

Strange, nowhere in your post did I see any reference to Meath County county who clearly agreed on the route and road closures. I'm not familiar with the area, but the county council would never close a road unless there were no objections at the planing stage - thats why county councils are elected for - to represent their electorate.
Don't know what it has to do with a Transport Minister, his job is merely to give money to Meath county council so they can implement the projects agreed by the people of Meath that elected them to the county board. what do you know, Meath county council are doing just that, therefore as far as Minister Dempsey is concerned, his job is done.

IIMII

It isn't really news, the stuff about the layout, tolls, railway etc has been out there for ages. Too late to change now, and all of the politicians from all assemblies and parties were aware of this from the start. They are all as bad as each other

AlekSmart

In addition, this junction also destoys the old Dublin-Navan rail line alignment. Mr. Dempsey, you might talk a good talk, but when all is said and done the average Meath commuter will be worse off under your watch. Incompetence or deceit, take you pick.

Mr Dempsey does indeed talk some interesting stuff.
However the interest I would imagine is beginning to centre on the collapse of the Car Sales market and the subsequent decline in volumes using flagship PPP Toll "Facilities"

There is nothing guaranteed to concentrate the mind of a Private Partner more than a massive fall in Potential income.

Therefore it need not surprise anybody that Minister Dempsey`s priorities now focus upon significantly REDUCING the availibility and attractiveness of State Provided Public Transport services.

This policy added to some inventive "Tweaking" of roads and traffic by compliant Local Authorities can be seen to act in favour of the poor `ol private investors.

The point about Local Authorities,such as Meath County Council acting as Publicly Focused authorities does indeed sound laudable,however this is Ireland and our Local Governance is`nt always what it appears.

Irish Local Administration has a long and proud tradition of the "Professional Managers" merely noting and subsequently ignoring the wishes of the elected representatives with catastrophic results...Minister Dempsey is merely ensuring that this proud tradition is allowed to continue under his watch

slystone

highdef wrote: »

The current route you are taking is not much different to the route you took before the M3 construction began so it's not really much of a detour. Also, the current traffic levels will drop substantially once the motorway opens as the road will merely function as a link road rather than a national route as is the case at present.
As for the rail alignment, tunnels have been put in place and on the motorway and there should be little issue with train tracks being laid.

With respect HighDef, your post reads like cut-n-paste PR fluff from the NRA. It is impossible to justify the circuituous route commuters from the Trim road will have to take to get onto the N3. I imagine your 'not really much of a detour' will add 15 minutes to a peaktime commute from Dublin to the Trim Road. I don't believe 'current traffic levels will drop substantially', since anyone living the Dublin side of Dunshaughlin will be motivated to take the same exit at Pace rathar than take a toll road to Dunshaughlin and double back. The 2002 M3 Environmental Impact Statement (www.m3motorway.ie/RelatedContent/file,13985,en.pdf) states, 'Existing traffic volumes on the N3 exceed 22,000 vehicles per day between Clonee and Blackbull; 15,000 vehicles per day between Blackbull and Dunshaughlin'. This means 7,000 cars exiting at Pace (not including existing Dunboyne/Kilbride traffic). It continues, 'Predicted traffic levels in 2004 on the N3 are expected to double over the next 20 years', so you may as well double that to 14,000 cars.

Incidentally, regarding the Blackbull junction, this document states, 'This junction is located at the intersection of the realigned N3, R154 and R155 just east of the existing "Fairyhouse Cross-Rds", in the townland of Piercetown. This junction will be a roundabout junction connecting the R154 from the west, theR155 from the east and the N3 from the north and south. The junction will be lit in the vicinity of the rotary and for a short distance on the approach arms of the rotary".

Regarding the rail alignment, there is no evidence of the 'magic' tunnel you refer to at the Fairyhouse Cross. Anyone who still believes there will be a new train line to Navan is deluding themselves.

And as for Dempsey, I'm sick of his sincere, 'I'll look after the people of Meath' bait and switch nonsense, when any objective observer can see that Meath commuters are getting royally shafted.

BrianD

I wouldn't be a fan of the M3 project (and I'm from the M3 corridor) but I don't think the situation regarding the Trim road is as bad as you make out.

Commuters from Trim had huge delays in the AM negotiating the N3 to go towards Dublin. This is now relieved by a roundabout and then you are pretty much back on the original route until you rejoin the dual carriageway. There's only one roundabout from where the Trim road joins the current N3 and what will be the new junction (I presume there will be roundabouts there).

Plus as one poster says, everyone in Meath loves the M3 so they'll all happily paying their tolls and staying on the M3. You'll have the road to yourself. Err..maybe not! You are also right in saying that the Trim Road does cut the old railyway route and there does not seem to be an accomodation for the line. My understanding is that the old route is the preferred route.

D'Peoples Voice

AlekSmart wrote: »

The point about Local Authorities,such as Meath County Council acting as Publicly Focused authorities does indeed sound laudable,however this is Ireland and our Local Governance is`nt always what it appears.

Tis a good conspiracy theory, but if Local government didn't implement what people wanted, they simply would be voted out next election. People are hardly going to vote again for someone that ignored their wishes the first time around - its illogical.

John R

slystone wrote: »

It appears that the NRA in its wisdom has decided to close access to the Trim Road from the M3 at Blackbull. As a commuter, If you want to get to Batterstown you will have to exit at Pace/Dunboyne, negotiate the roundabouts, local traffic, travel to Blackbull/Fairyhouse Cross roundabout to get down onto the Trim Road.

How can they close off access to a road that doesn't yet exist?

What you are really complaining about is that there will not be a direct commection to the new motorway at Fairyhouse cross.

slystone wrote:

I imagine your 'not really much of a detour' will add 15 minutes to a peaktime commute from Dublin to the Trim Road

Rubbish. Even now with all traffic using the route it in peak time it takes less than 15 mns to travel the single carriageway section from Fairyhouse roundabout to the start of the N3 dual carriageway. With the volumes on the old road cut when the M3 opens I would reckon it will take 5 minutes at the most to pass this section, at best a direct junction to the Trim road would save 2-3minutes.


This is the same arguement that always comes up with new motorway builds, everyone wants direct access to it. The fact is that one of the biggest causes of motorway congestion is weaving traffic when junctions are placed too close to each other.

One junction for the Trim, Ratoath, Dunsaughlin South and Dunboyne roads is plenty. If a seperate junction was provided at Fairyhouse X traffic from here would be merging on top of traffic exiting at Dunboyne and vice-versa.

IIMII

To be honest, it'll be much better than it stands at the moment with the big bottleneck at the top of the current DC section. It's a fair point re the relative closeness to the Dunboyne exit. But at the same time, I'm sure that the current configuration doesn't impede upon the tolling arrangement. I'm looking forward to not breaking out in a sweat coming to the top of the DC every evening

highdef

The M3 has not opened yet and there never was going to be a direct connection to the Trim Road so I can't see how they have "closed" the access if the access was never there in the first place. You will now (and currently already do) get to the Trim Road via the new link road. It's not a big deal and is only a slight deviation from the old N3 route. The exit roundabout onto the Trim Road also has the benefit when heading citybound of giving you right of way over traffic heading south/Dublin bound from the north/Navan. This saves a lot of time and more importantly is a lot safer than was the dangerous setup before the works began.
As you know, there are quite a number of houses near Black Bull, especially on the road that goes from near the end of the Trim Road and runs parallel in a south easterly direction to the N3 where it joins (well joined as it no longer connects to the N3 anymore) the N3 a km or two southeast, and on the Trim road itself. An interchange would've been rather impractical with all the houses involved and the distance you would be travelling from the end of the Clonee bypass to the Trim Road really does not necessitate building another interchange for the sake of about 4km.
And you also state that you have to negotiate the roundabouts (note the plural) and also the Blackbull/Fairyhouse Cross roundabout. From this, it implies there are a minimum of 3 roundabouts, when in fact there are only two in total, including the Blackbull/Fairyhouse Cross roundabout. And the Blackbull/Fairyhouse Cross roundabout is a godsend for getting off the Trim Road when heading citybound in the mornings.
Face it, when the roads are complete, you will be a lot quicker getting from the Trim Road to the Clonee bypass than before any construction took place, considering that you would spend a minimum of 5 minutes (often nearer 10 mins or more on some days) just getting from the the back of the queue on the Trim Road and onto the N3.

Gonzo

When the M3 is finally opened can we continue on the road as far as the new pace/dunboyne bridge junction and then go over that onto the N3 to avoid paying toll to dunshaughlin or will we have to exit the M3 earlier around Clonee and back onto N3? Im asking this coz almost everyone i know From Dunshaughlin will not be using the M3 on their journeys once opened as it will be tolled.

IIMII

Yeah, just exit at Dunboyne. I'm in 2 minds myself about using the M3 tolled section as I regularly have to cross the M50 too, and I don't fancy 4 tolls per day when I have to do that.

Coming from Navan, it might make sense to exit at Dunshaughlin, take the new R125 across to the Trim road, and then rejoin the M3 at Dunboyne. Again it's all about time, but I'll have fun working out all of the variations. Fecking tolls