M3 Clonee-Kells Motorway construction updates

sdanseo · 17-03-2009 1:47am #1

Is it me or is there no existing thread on this?

How is the project progressing? Any locals with pics or updates for us? Their website isn't particuarly thought-provoking, to be honest.

CUCINA · 20-04-2009 10:22pm

Yes there is! You'll find it in the Meath section under north-east region. I have been taking photos etc around Dunboyne/Fairyhouse/Dunshaughlin but have a look at that thread. Hopefully you will find it of interest...

Amtmann · 20-04-2009 10:28pm

CUCINA, can you post the pictures on this thread? I suspect it's a shoo-in to open before the year is over.

CUCINA · 21-04-2009 8:02am

Re request for photos, would be happy to provide, but see explanation on Meath forum!
Will have more info later, no time just now!

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:20pm

Loads of pictures taken along the M3 route starting back in 2007 up to february 09

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:22pm

Second set of pictures

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:25pm

more pictures not sure if this is working........

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:27pm

another 5

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:29pm

Heres some more

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:30pm

5 more

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:32pm

construction going well

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:33pm

next 5

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 9:37pm

Construction is progressing well even through the Tara valley. All the way from Clonee to kells major progress is been made. Practially all bridges are complete. However the boyne crossing north of Navan is slow last time I was down there was little to see. I can't see the whole road open B4 Xmas if this is not complete

Amtmann · 29-04-2009 10:07pm

Many thanks for your efforts Celtic Warrior. The most recent are from February you say? Progress looks very mixed.

Celtic Warrior · 29-04-2009 11:03pm

Here's a few from a few weeks back. Some sections are well on there way with several courses done others not travelling the length of it I was surprised to see how far they've progressed. Most of the other pictures are from last year have to say. The Boyne crossing is the bottleneck i'd say

CUCINA · 30-04-2009 9:07pm

Well done to Celtic Warrior...interesting browsing...I have been taking photos around Clonee/Dunboyne/Dunshaughlin M3 sites for the last couple of years, have them in an album, but unfortunately now deleted from the camera so unable to upload them. I hadn't realised up till recently that anyone else would have been bothered to take photos of its progress!

Amtmann · 30-04-2009 9:08pm

CUCINA wrote: »

Well done to Celtic Warrior...interesting browsing...I have been taking photos around Clonee/Dunboyne/Dunshaughlin M3 sites for the last couple of years, have them in an album, but unfortunately now deleted from the camera so unable to upload them. I hadn't realised up till recently that anyone else would have been bothered to take photos of its progress!

They'll be a historical record in decades to come.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 9:55pm

Hi folks, I took these photos a month ago (27th April to be precise), promised contributors to the M3 thread in the Region>North East>Meath forum that I'd have them up within the week but alas here I am only getting round to it a month later.

I have photos from 4 access points along the northern half of the route.
We'll start off at the northernmost, an overpass between Greetiagh and the Silver Tankard. For those of you trying to gather your bearings, there's quite a large site office/machinery compound just east of this overpass, it's about 700m west of the Oristown/Silver Tankard junction on the existing N3.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:05pm

Silver Tankard overpass #2

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:06pm

Silver Tankard overpass #3

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:09pm

Silver Tankard overpass #4

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:14pm

Silver Tankard overpass #5

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:20pm

Slowly gaining familiarity with the uploader, I thought max filesize = 1.95mb meant total uploads could only amount to 1.95mb too

Still at the Silver Tankard flyover by the way, about another half dozen after this post

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:28pm

More from the Greetiagh-Oristown Road, this is nearly the lot at this stage.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:30pm

Last from the Silver Tankard/Greetiagh/Oristown collection. Running off to compress the remainder from other access sites now, I'll be back with more from sites further south before long.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 10:50pm

Back before long... Hope the previous batch are useful to those of you who take a peek.

These ones were taken a short time later, about 3km further south, on the road linking the N3 junction at Newgate Motors (just north of Tara Mines) with Greetiagh.

Note 1: While the contractors operating the cherry picker at the previous overpass were happy to tell me about the road's progress, they were less happy to see me here. I was asked if I had a permit to take photos, who I was representing, where the photos would appear, blahdeeblah, but I got away with it in the end. Special thanks to the bald guy with a strong Ardee accent in the Mitsubishi van

Note 2: My batteries were diminishing at this point, and the weather began to disimprove, so I only have a handful from this site. Apologies!

Tech3 · 26-05-2009 10:56pm

upmeath wrote: »

Note 1: While the contractors operating the cherry picker at the previous overpass were happy to tell me about the road's progress, they were less happy to see me here. I was asked if I had a permit to take photos, who I was representing, where the photos would appear, blahdeeblah, but I got away with it in the end. Special thanks to the bald guy with a strong Ardee accent in the Mitsubishi van

A lesson for many not to enter a site!!! A permit for photos?

Amtmann · 26-05-2009 11:02pm

That's absurd. While I can understand why people *should not* enter a site, asking for a permit to take pictures is nothing short of asinine. It's a 60km road ffs - people drive past it, cycle past it, walk past it and live beside it. They should build a roof over it if they don't want people photographing it.

No-one should be dissuaded from taking pictures.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 11:04pm

Now onto the next site, further south again, we're just west of Navan now.

As far as I know (I'm not a frequent user of this road) the bridge pictured is now in use and the Navan-Athboy Road doesn't pass in the foreground anymore as seen in these photos, instead going over the bridge. It came into use about 2 weeks ago, and a dual carriageway now connects the M3 site with Navan at Clogherboy.
I stand to be corrected on this though as I haven't personally used the road and I'm just going on word-of-mouth/my understanding of the local print press.

Again, the labourers weren't too happy to see a young man with a camera, and the lad in the flashy jacket alerted the boys in the grey van to my presence. Undeterred, I continued to photograph them. Snap happy!

upmeath · 26-05-2009 11:12pm

tech2 wrote: »

A lesson for many not to enter a site!!! A permit for photos?

I wasn't actually on the site, there's a slip road parallel to the bridge which trucks use to ramp down onto the motorway site, there's at least one house on this lane, so it's still accessible to the public. The site proper doesn't start until you reach the metal barriers about 10m from the road's edge, and I didn't pass those. A lot of these boys are powertripping judging by the vibes I got that day.

Furet wrote:

...asking for a permit to take pictures is nothing short of asinine.

Unfortunately it's becoming all too commonplace nowadays. I can understand his fears that I might be trying to build a legal case against them or some such (eg. I was walking along the road on a Sunday afternoon while work was halted, and I tripped over and dislocated my knee) but I'm pretty sure any jury would find in their favour if I brought such an action against them.
Maybe he's just a busy body who likes to know where the photos are going to appear so he can tell friends and relatives.

I agree with you both entirely, there's no plausible reason not to be able to take photos from existing roads that aren't within the boundaries of their work site.

upmeath · 26-05-2009 11:20pm

Here's the overpass on the Navan-Robinstown Road. It's about 2km from Claremont on the southern edge of Navan, about 1km east of Balreask on the Navan-Trim Road. Considering this is the furthest site south that I visited that day, I was surprised that work here seemed to be at the least advanced stage of all four sites.

M3 Clonee-Kells Motorway construction updates

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