Route Description

The Project involves:

The existing National Primary N3 Dublin to Cavan Road is one of the principal routes linking Dublin to the north-west. This route is currently dual carriageway to the Clonee Bypass, then passes through the centre of Dunshaughlin to the Navan Inner Relief Route and on through the centre of Kells. The N3 is identified as a Strategic Radial Corridor in the National Spatial Strategy and its upgrading is:

• an objective of the National Development Plan, 2000-2006 (NDP) and Transport 21 plan.
• an objective of the Meath County Council Development Plan,
• referenced in the Dublin Transportation Office 'A Platform for Change' Strategy 2000-2016
• referenced in the Strategic Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area.

The M3 Route Selection reports were published in 2000 and 2001 and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in March 2002. This was followed by a 28-day Oral Hearing in Autumn 2002, detailed in the six volume Inspector's Report. The Motorway Scheme for the project and the EIS were approved by An Bord Pleanála in August 2003, and became operative in September 2003.

The proposed M3 Clonee North of Kells is approximately 63km long, made up of the following sections:

• 49km of motorway from Clonee to Kells
• 10km of dual carriageway from Kells to Carnaross, North of Kells
• 3.8km of 2-lane single carriageway the proposed N52 Kells Bypass
• 15km of link roads both single and dual carriageway

Other works covered under the proposed scheme include the following:

• Toll plazas, the Southern Toll Plaza (Blackbull Toll Plaza) located north of the proposed Blackbull overbridge, and the Northern Toll Plaza Grange, west of White's Quarry.
• 7 grade-separated junctions (interchanges) at Pace, Dunshaughlin, Blundelstown, Kilcarn, Athboy Road (N51) and Kilmainham.
• 5 primary at-grade junctions (intersections) at Kilcarn Roundabout, Athboy Roundabout, Mullingar Road Twin Roundabouts, N52 Kells Bypass Roundabouts, Kells to North of Kells Roundabouts
• Other significant junctions include the R157/Dunboyne Bypass roundabout, R156/Dunboyne Bypass Roundabout, N3/Pace Interchange roundabout, N3 and R154/R155 roundabout, Dunshaughlin/Dunsany roundabout

Dunshaughlin/N3 roundabout and the Trim/R154 roundabout:

• 34 Overbridges, carrying existing roads over the new motorway
• 29 underbridges and / or underpases
• 2 River crossing bridges
• 1 Footbridge
• 12 Retaining Wall structures
• 28 major Drainage Culverts

The preferred route for the proposed scheme extends from the existing N3 (where the N3 currently ends as a dual carriageway at Clonee) northwards to Kells and essentially covers the following 5 sections:

Clonee - Dunshauglin

This section commences at the end of the existing Clonee Bypass, east of Dunboyne and proceeds in a north-west direction crossing the Tolka River. It runs roughly parallel and to the west of the exsting N3 and rejoins the existing N3 at Pace and runs parallel to the disused Clonsilla-Navan Railway through the townland of Piercetown where a toll plaza will be located to the north of the Blackbull overbridge. The route continues north-westerly crossing the Tolka River twice before passing to the west of Dunshaughlin crossing the Skane River and then turning north towards the existing N3.

Dunshaughlin - Navan Bypass

This section commences at Roestown a mile north of Dunshaughlin and runs roughly parallel to the existing N3 on the east side of the N3 before crossing the existing N3 at Blundelstown where it continues north-west crossing over the Boyne River reaching the proposed Navan Bypass at Cannistown.

The Navan Bypass

This section extends from Cannistown to Williamstown before crossing the Trim Road (R161) forming a bypass to the west of Navan town and continues north-westwards before crossing the N51 Navan-Athboy Road crossing the townland of Ardbraccan. The bypass finally reaches the Navan-Kells scheme.

Navan to Kells and the N52 Kells Bypass

The proposed route continues from approximately 2.5km south of the existing N3, in the townland of Ardbraccan, at the end of the Navan Bypass and runs north-westerly roughly parallel to the exisiting N3 for its entire length to the west of the existing N3. A toll plaza will be provided in the townland of Grange. The motorway ends north of Calliaghstown where it continues as the N3 Kells, north of Kells section and the N52 Kells Bypass.

The N52 Kells Bypass commences at the intersection of the new M3, existing N3 and existing N52 Kells to Mullingar Road and heads north before terminating at the existing N52 north of Maudlin Bridge. This new N52 Bypass provides a new road to the west of Kells.

Kells to north of Kells

This section commences at the northern termination point of the proposed M3 Motorway section at Kells and terminates at the Meath-Cavan border where it crosses the Blackwater River and rejoins the existing N3 at Derver. It provides an improvement to the existing N3 and runs in a wide loop to the west and roughly parallel to the existing N3 as a dual carriageway.