N3 road

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
In Belgium, the N3 is the road from Brussels to Aachen, passing Leuven, Tienen, Sint-Truiden and Liège.
N3
Destinations (SE to NW)
On route / bypassed

* To be bypassed 2009 by M3 Clonee–Kells.

The N3 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, running between Dublin, Cavan Town and the border with County Fermanagh. Roads in Northern Ireland form part of an overall route connecting to Enniskillen, and northwest to the border again where the N3 reappears to serve Ballyshannon in County Donegal. The Navan - Kells corridor currently suffers from very poor road infrastructure (the current N3 is narrow two lane country road) and has no passenger rail services.[1] Rush hour congestion between Navan and Dublin city is very heavy (up to 22,000 vehicles per day on parts of the N3 in 2002). A motorway bypass upgrade (M3 motorway) is planned for part of the N3 route.

Contents

[edit] Route

The route is known as the Navan Road as it leaves Dublin, passing near the Phoenix Park's northeastern exit and bypassing Castleknock. Following a major junction with the M50 motorway, consisting of a busy (and often grid-locked) grade-separated roundabout on the N3, the road bypasses Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Clonee with dual carriageway. The dual-carriage-way reduces to a single carriageway shortly past the Meath border and it passes through Dunshaughlin village, Navan town (which is partially bypassed on an inner-relief road with traffic lights controlling junctions) and Kells in County Meath, before passing through Virginia and reaching Cavan Town. After Cavan town, the road continues past Butlersbridge and through Belturbet (both in County Cavan), the route then crosses the border with Northern Ireland, becoming the A509 to Enniskillen. The A49 road connects Enniskillen and the Donegal border, becoming the N3 across the border at Belleek, and connecting to Ballyshannon. From there, the N15 goes North to Donegal Town and Lifford, and south to Sligo.

[edit] Planned M3 Motorway Upgrade

M3

Part of the present N3 route is due to be bypassed, by the construction of the separate M3 motorway (the bypassed section of the existing N3 will be reclassified as an "R" road, and the N3 national primary route will thereafter include the M3 - according to Ireland's route number scheme).

The proposed M3 will connect the end of the dual carriageway near Clonee with the N3 north of Kells. Thus it will bypass Dunshaughlin, Navan, and Kells.

[edit] Controversy

The Hill of Tara (aerial view)
Enlarge
The Hill of Tara (aerial view)

As of 2005 the motorway plan is contested because the route passes near the Hill of Tara and through the archaeologically rich Tara-Skyne valley or Gabhra. The planned route corridor was approved by An Bord Pleanála (planning appeals board) in August 2003. Objectors, including more than 350 academics and the head of the National Museum of Ireland, say the motorway will irreparably damage the region's heritage. Those opposing the plans wish for an alternative route to be chosen instead. The National Roads Authority (NRA) and others (such as some local residents and business groups) insist that the alternative route is too far from towns in the area, and that the road is needed to address urgent traffic problems. Supporters of the present M3 plans point out that 71% of the vote in the 2005 Meath bye election went to parties supporting the construction of the M3, these parties included Fianna Fáil, the Progressive Democrats and Fine Gael. They also state that the new M3 motorway will be farther away from the historic Hill of Tara than the existing N3 road. However, critics state that it will be marginally further away is irrelevant because it will have a far greater visual and noise impact than the smaller, more easily hidden single carriageway road.

The visual impact of the motorway on the Tara-Skyne valley is one of the main objections against the present route. The NRA insist that the route will be heavily planted and integrated into the existing landscape. Those in favour of the route also point out that the Minister for the Environment is on record as saying that he has agreed remedial measures with the NRA to modify the proposed lighting at the controversial Blundelstown interchange to lessen its visual impact on the environment.

Other objectors suggest that the motorway will do little to ease the misery of commuters in County Meath as the motorway will feed into a dual carriageway which intersects with one of the busiest junctions in Ireland, the M50 Toll Bridge and leads to the already congested Navan Road/Cabra/Phibsboro areas. They also point out that (in the worst case) a commuter travelling to work in Suburban South County Dublin from Kells would have to pay 2 tolls in each direction (one on the M3 and one on the M50). There are currently only 5 toll roads in Ireland (M50, M1,M4, M8 and the Eastlink bridge) and is generally used on roads where a private building company agree a construction and tolling contract.

Ardbraccan House
Enlarge
Ardbraccan House

Controversially, the M3 is also planned to cut through the grounds of one of Ireland's most historic paladian stately homes, Ardbraccan House, through parkland in the vicinity of the rapidly growing town of Navan at Dalgan Park, and cut off a medieval graveyard still in use at Ardbraccan from its townland hinterland. All these results have been criticised by environmentalists who stated that alternative routes were available that would have avoided such dramatic impact on heritage or environmentally important sites. The National Roads Authority who are responsible for construction of the motorway point out that it has gone through the full planning system and was subject to a 28 day oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala, the State planning appeals board, who granted permission for its construction in August 2003 subject to certain conditions.

Both RTÉ and the Meath Chronicle both reported in 2005 that controversial property developers whose actions in Dublin and whose links with "corrupt politicians" have been the subject examination in the Mahon Tribunal and the Moriarty Tribunal, have bought much of the land surrounding the proposed road at Tara for development purposes.

[edit] M3 Latest Developments

On 12 May 2005 excavation licenses were approved by the Environment Minister Dick Roche permitting the archaeological digs required before construction begins by Meath County Council.

On July 4, 2005, leave was granted to Vincent Salafia in the High Court to judicially review the decision of the Minister.

On the March 1, 2006, the challenge by Mr. Salafia to the proposed route of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara monument was dismissed on all grounds by the High Court. (The Irish Times 2nd March 2006.)

Vincent Salafia announced on April 19th 2006 he is to appeal against that ruling to the Supreme Court and subsequently to the European Court of Justice if necessary. In October 2006, after long negotiations with the authorities, Mr. Salafia announced that he was withdrawing his appeal to the Supreme Court.

It appears that construction of the M3 may now start in mid-2007.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ The line from Navan to Drogheda, an indirect route to Dublin, remains in use for freight, and has been used by passengers as late as the late 1980s, when it was specially used to bring Meath people to Dublin to attend the All-Ireland Football Final in Croke Park.

[edit] References

[edit] External links


National primary roads of the Republic of Ireland
N1(M1) - N2 - N3(M3) - N4(M4) - N5 - N6(M6) - N7(M7) - N8(M8) - N9(M9) - N10 - N11(M11) - N12 - N13 - N14 - N15 - N16 - N17 - N18 - N19 - N20 - N21 - N22 - N23 - N24 - N25 - N26 - N27 - N28 - N29 - N30 - N31 - N32 - N33 - M50
Roads in Ireland - National secondary roads - Regional roads
See also: National Development Plan, National Roads Authority
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../n/3/_/N3_road.html"
In other languages