M3 Motorway (for discussing COMPLETED section)

GeneHunt

First life lost on motorway was motorist who had broken down

Members of the Garda forensic team investigate the scene of the accident on the M3 near Lismullin early Tuesday morning.
An early morning collision between a van and a pedestrian on the M3 motorway in foggy conditions yesterday (Tuesday) morning claimed the life of a Kells taxi driver who had been on his way home from working in Dublin.
It is understood that Robert Carthy (42) of The Glebe, Kells, had left his car, which had broken down on the side of the northbound lane, between Rath Lugh and Lismullin, and had made a call to the M3 maintenance company via the SOS phone on the side of the motorway.
Mr Carthy is understood to have been walking along the motorway after making this call when he was struck by a van travelling northwards towards Cavan in the dreadful foggy conditions that prevailed yesterday morning. He was struck close to the exit ramp for Skryne near the Blundelstown interchange. The accident happened around 6.10am.
It is understood that the deceased man, who was a native of Dublin and lived with his partner in Kells, was returning home from a shift working in Dublin when he may have experienced mechanical difficulties with his car. He is thought to have made contact with the M3 operators via the emergency phone on the side of the motorway just before he was struck.
His car remained on the side of the motorway yesterday (Tuesday) as a Garda forensic team examined the scene of the collision. The northbound lane of the motorway was closed from Dunshaughlin to Blundelstown until lunchtime as the forensic collision investigators worked at the scene.
Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to the accident and are asking anyone who may have information to contact Navan Garda Station on (046) 907 9930, or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
This, the first fatality on the M3 motorway, comes as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) announceed details of Irish Road Safety Week, from Monday 11th October to Sunday 17th October.
Some 30 pedestrians have been killed on Irish roads already this year, an increase on 28 in 2009.
Up until 8th October, RSA figures show that 160 people have lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year, a reduction of 24 on the same period last year. Of the lives lost, almost half (44 per cent) were drivers which is a decrease of nine per cent on last year’s figures. However, the number of passengers killed on Irish roads this year is 42 which represents an increase of 17 in the same period last year.
Road safety activities are planned across the country throughout the week, beginning on Monday 11th October with the RSA’s Annual Lecture on Road Safety in Dublin Castle. This year’s lecture is themed 'Drugs and Driving’, will look at the role that drugs play in deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
'European Night Without Accident’ will take place in a number of counties, including Meath, on Saturday 16th October.
This will be the fourth year that Ireland will participate in this initiative which is happening in 27 European countries in 2010.
The initiative is run by young adult volunteers who encourage groups of youngsters entering night-clubs to identify a 'designated driver’ for the night.

Link: Meath Chronicle

GeneHunt

Motorway traffic levels 22% below target

An average of 21,540 vehicles used the M3 in June and July.
Figures revealed on usage of the M3 motorway since it opened in June have shown that traffic is currently down 22 per cent below the targets required to avoid penalty payments.
Statistics released by PlanBetter, a joint initiative between An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the Irish Environment and FEASTA (Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability), show that an average of 21,540 vehicles used the M3 motorway in June and July last.
This is 22 per cent below the threshold agreed with Eurolink, the company that built and operate the motorway with some 26,250 vehicles required to use the M3 each day to avoid penalty payments.
The statistics show that minimum traffic levels on the M3 in June were 19,295 and maximum figures were 24,403. For July, minimum figures were 18,582 and maximum traffic was 23,880.
The NRA has admitted it agreed deals involving cash penalties being paid to the companies that built and operate the M3 and the Limerick tunnel toll roads if traffic volumes fall below certain levels. With traffic 26 per cent below target on the Limerick tunnel, and 22 per cent below target for the M3, as much as €100m in exchequer cash may be needed to compensate the two toll firms over the lifetime of the 30-year deal, PlanBetter has claimed.
The NRA has said that any penalty payments are calculated on an annual basis and over a 30-year life span and that, because both stretches of road had only just opened, it was not yet possible to calculate if any payments would be made. The NRA also said that no claim for compensation had yet been received.

Link: Meath Chronicle

bauderline

GeneHunt wrote: »

Link: Meath Chronicle

A good example of why wandering around on a Motorway in very dense fog is not a good thing to do. If it was me I would hit the hazards, get out of the car and set up camp in the shrubs and phone for assistance.

To be fair there isn't really any way the can construct the motorway differently to avoid this sort of scenario.... people need to use common sense.

I note someone also got it badly wrong at the first roundabout on the 2+2 section from Virginia, they apparently forgot it was there and tried to go straight through it, which didn't work out so well as it was a Ford Fiesta and the roundabout is a raised one with a 2m incline. The Fiesta was still there this morning.... they must have got quite a shock !

P.

marmurr1916

bauderline wrote: »

A good example of why wandering around on a Motorway in very dense fog is not a good thing to do. If it was me I would hit the hazards, get out of the car and set up camp in the shrubs and phone for assistance.

To be fair there isn't really any way the can construct the motorway differently to avoid this sort of scenario.... people need to use common sense.

I note someone also got it badly wrong at the first roundabout on the 2+2 section from Virginia, they apparently forgot it was there and tried to go straight through it, which didn't work out so well as it was a Ford Fiesta and the roundabout is a raised one with a 2m incline. The Fiesta was still there this morning.... they must have got quite a shock !

P.

I've seen that happen on the old [ex-N8] Cahir bypass. Guy was talking on his mobile, didn't see the roundabout at the N24 junction, ploughed straight into the roundabout.

L1011

That taxi driver was doing pretty much exactly what you're meant to - using the SOS phone and returning to your vehicle (and not getting in to it but getting up on the enbankment/behind barrier). Can only assume the van that hit him drifted off-lane or that he lost sight of the lane markings himself and walked in the mainline.

GeneHunt

MYOB wrote: »

That taxi driver was doing pretty much exactly what you're meant to - using the SOS phone and returning to your vehicle (and not getting in to it but getting up on the enbankment/behind barrier). Can only assume the van that hit him drifted off-lane or that he lost sight of the lane markings himself and walked in the mainline.

That's what I was thinking too at first, however, after driving that section of the motorway a few days ago and seeing the garda investigating markings on the road, I now think the taxi driver had made it back to his car and was along side it when the van hit him - the fog was bad that morning, so visibility was poor. I mentioned on the "M3 Construction" thread before (here) about my concerns with fog and this section of the M3 motorway.

munchkin_utd

a few things strike me about this accident compared to what would happen on the continent which might well have saved this mans life:

- you have a warning triangle which you set up a few hundred metres back the road to alert oncoming traffic of a broken down vehicle ahead.
- in many countries you are obliged to wear a reflective jacket if you leave a car on the motorway
- during your compulsorary driver training & first aid course you are repeatedly told of the danger of being anywhere on the motorway itsself; you KNOW that you should walk behind the crash barriers when going to and from th emergency telephone and you KNOW that you do not return to your vehicle. You stay behind the crash barrier till a recovery vehicle comes as the car itsself might get hit with you in it. (youre also instructed to enter and exit the vehicle on the side away from the driving caraigeway)


to be fair the Rules of the Road advise to set up the triangle, if you have it, or wear a reflective jacket, if you have one, but nothing mentioned about specificaly breaking down on a high speed motorway and using the inside crash barrier to keep you safe.

One thing I would say is that that road is bloody narrow for a motorway, and the hard shoulder not particularily wide so it would be easy enough to encroach on a broken down vehicle in the hard shoulder, or someone standing right beside it.

L1011

There may not have been a crash barrier at the location in question, not having seen where it is. But when lacking them if the enbankment is solid, walk on it.

munchkin_utd

bauderline wrote: »

Opening a new thread for the M3
So does anyone else have any observations about this road....

Drove the road again northbound on way back from airport to Cavan last Friday.

I found it seemed quite narrow at night to be honest, possibly caused by the cats eyes being on the driving side of the solid line on both the hard shoulder and overtaking lane.

And the hard shoulder was noticeably narrower than I would have expected it to be. Is it even wide enough for a car, let alone lorry, to park on?

Has anyone an idea of how wide the lanes and hard shoulder actually are? (or at least designed to be?)
And is this any different than say the M4/M6 PPP ?

EDIT: found this on wikipedia - Irish Motorways
"The more recent schemes have narrow medians, only 3 metres in width, with a concrete barrier in the middle. These narrow-median schemes also have reduced carriageway width
- a typical narrow-median motorway cross section has two 3.5 metre running lanes, a 2.5 metre hard shoulder and a 1.5 metre central reserve in each direction where as
- a typical wide median motorway has 3.75 metre running lanes and a 3 metre hard shoulder. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorways_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland#Specification

so indeed, the already narrower 3.5m lane width marked by lines is reduced by another 15/ 20 cm by the cats eyes, which at night are more prominent than the lines themselves

betistuc

medoc wrote: »

I had the chance to drive the N3/M3 southbound from Cavan today. Its an impressive road alright. The 2+2 Section is a good idea and deffinately should be high on the list of options for any new lightly trafficed Primary and the stragecially important National secondary roads. Just one question to ask What is the logic behind the transition from 2+2 to the Motorway? Why did the M3 not flow straight into the N3 2+2. The M3 itself was a pleasure to drive and bussier than I expected but the express lane was a bith slow opening (the one nearest Dublin).


Off Topic but I was not impressed with the N52 Kells Bypass, it has no hard shoulders and felt a poor effort for a new build road.

Agree with medoc. I've read on many threads that grade separated junctions are as cheap to construct as roundabouts. so what do the NRA do! They go for the the more dangerous option. Surely GSJ s would have been the logical choice at the N52 and R163 junctions and would tie in nicely with any future Virginia by pass and make the whole road seamless.

M3 itself is a fine road. Shame that it has two tolls. Are they ever likely to disappear?

munchkin_utd

betistuc wrote: »

M3 itself is a fine road. Shame that it has two tolls. Are they ever likely to disappear?

The road was built as a PPP, so a private contractor built the road in exchange for the toll income for a certain number of years, 30 years from what I can gather.
After that the state owns the road so only then can tolls be removed
(unless Bertie Ahern comes back to power and does some more giveaway budgets to bankrupt the country by buying out the toll road consortium for an insane amount )

Chris_5339762

betistuc wrote: »

Agree with medoc. I've read on many threads that grade separated junctions are as cheap to construct as roundabouts. so what do the NRA do! They go for the the more dangerous option. Surely GSJ s would have been the logical choice at the N52 and R163 junctions and would tie in nicely with any future Virginia by pass and make the whole road seamless.

M3 itself is a fine road. Shame that it has two tolls. Are they ever likely to disappear?

At a guess, to make people slow down after 60km of motorway? Noone would slow if you went from motorway to 2+2, and then when that goes to S2 later on people wouldnt slow down either. At least a roundabout at the end of the M road creates a divide between 2+2 and M, which to most people (not Boardsies with scary road knowledge) would be unnoticable.

betistuc

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

At a guess, to make people slow down after 60km of motorway? Noone would slow if you went from motorway to 2+2, and then when that goes to S2 later on people wouldnt slow down either. At least a roundabout at the end of the M road creates a divide between 2+2 and M, which to most people (not Boardsies with scary road knowledge) would be unnoticable.

What about M7 becoming N7 around Naas. That seems to work ok. Then again, sheer volume of traffic neccessitates GSJs in that area I suppose.
So do you reckon we are stuck with these roundabouts even if the Virginia by pass goes ahead?

Chris_5339762

Dont think it would really be an option around Naas as it would be a big bottleneck. Also I guess since the Naas Road is still a divided carriageway.

Jayuu

The M7/N7 changeover is different in that where the motorway ends you actually go from a 2-lane road to a 3-lane road. The extra lane begins as a merge lane from Junction 9. So in effect through traffic is completely unaffected by the changeover.

bauderline

Need to be careful at the end of the M3 from now on... Looks like the GoSafe crowd will be setting up camp....

http://www.garda.ie/gosafe.html

I would expect this to be serviced by one of the first 15..... I didn't think was an accident black spot though.....

Tech3

Also it's worth noting that these zones dont seem to be on the 2 key PPP schmes which are under the forecasted traffic count. As well as the M3 the Limerick tunnel will have no safety cameras. I have never seen a speed gun on the tolled section of the Limerick tunnel yet and never expect one.

munchkin_utd

tech2 wrote: »

Also it's worth noting that these zones dont seem to be on the 2 key PPP schmes which are under the forecasted traffic count. As well as the M3 the Limerick tunnel will have no safety cameras. I have never seen a speed gun on the tolled section of the Limerick tunnel yet and never expect one.

errrrr
can you find any zone on any motorway?

I cant, PPP or otherwise.

probably because all motorways are by a long way safer than the roads they replaced. (ppp or otherwise)

marno21

There's a new Maxol service area on the N3 southbound just after it changes from M3 to N3, at a LILO for Ballycoolin.

Is it well signed?

marno21

AA Roadwatch reporting delays into Dunshaughlin on the old N3/R147 this evening. Is this being caused by toll dodgers or for another reason?

GeneHunt

marno21 wrote: »

AA Roadwatch reporting delays into Dunshaughlin on the old N3/R147 this evening. Is this being caused by toll dodgers or for another reason?

There maybe a few toll dodgers alright, it is the main road to Cavan after all!!!:D

All jokes aside, there's roadworks in Dunshaughlin village, a Stop and Go traffic light system is in place until the 19th July. Footpaths are getting replaced in-line with a new entrance to the new Lidl store which will open on the 19th July.