M3 Motorway - Now Open

[ziggysego]

Have you noticed that with all these new dual carriageways and motorways that are all interconnected, the only one that isn't connected to anything, is the one for Derry/Tyrone?!?

Ziggy, when you look at the map it would make more sense all around to continue the road to Enniskillen, Cavan and Virgina to join the M3 to Dublin.  That would give us a good road to Enniskillen and the new hospital as well as a striaght line to Dublin.

It's one thing I've often thought. They've taken the hospital off us, at least give us a decent road to Enniskillen to avail of Emergency Services there.

[mc_grens]

Have you noticed that with all these new dual carriageways and motorways that are all interconnected, the only one that isn't connected to anything, is the one for Derry/Tyrone?!?

Ah give over Ziggy- Have you noticed we've no tolls to pay?

[slow corner back]

Have you noticed that with all these new dual carriageways and motorways that are all interconnected, the only one that isn't connected to anything, is the one for Derry/Tyrone?!?

Ah give over Ziggy- Have you noticed we've no tolls to pay?

Yet

[Lecale2]

Is the A5 not being linked to the M1 (from Belfast to Dungannon)?

[armaghniac]

Is the A5 not being linked to the M1 (from Belfast to Dungannon)?

The above "map" is largely nonsense as it only shows routes radiating from Dublin. It does not show the improved Ballygawley-Dungannon route or the motorway being being built between Ennis and Galway.

[J70]

Can anyone confirm that both tolls are €1.30?

BTW much of the N3 will also have it's speed limit reduced from 100kph to 80kph once the M3 opens.

That'll not make much difference. It would sicken your hole driving on the stretch of the N3 from Dunshaughlin to Kells over the years, as invariably you would get stuck behind someone who thought the speed limit was 45 mph and that stretch is not exactly flush with overtaking opportunities, particularly when said 45 mph driver amasses a 10-15 car tailback. It used to be such a joy to hit the other side of Kells and then the nice open road once you were through Virginia! Mostly a straight run from there to Donegal Town, although you'd get the odd one, particularly the petrol tourists heading from Kesh across to Pettigo to fill up. Thank f**k those days are over! Dublin Airport to Donegal Town in 2 1/2 hours now, no bother!

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

I was talking to someone who used the M3 on Friday and he said he might as well have took his time as he was sitting in Virginia for 15 minutes. The good old Irish, wait 30 years for a new road and then do it half-arsed by leaving one town in the middle of the route.

[BallyhaiseMan]

All thats left for the N3 is the Virginia and Belturbet bypasses.
Anyone know what the timescale for each are?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Have you noticed that with all these new dual carriageways and motorways that are all interconnected, the only one that isn't connected to anything, is the one for Derry/Tyrone?!?

What I notice is the typical shite, nothing for anyone living between Galway and Derry.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Motorway over to Castlebar and to Sligo should be next.
The North of connacht as Mayogodhelpus said is lacking.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Motorway over to Castlebar and to Sligo should be next.
The North of connacht as Mayogodhelpus said is lacking.

The sooner they sort out the Valley of Death that is the drive through North Roscommon the better.

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5849&Itemid=38
"Mayo industrialists to tell Cowen that poor roads will cause job losses

Michael Duffy

A DELEGATION of powerful chief executives from four of Mayo's leading employers will meet with An Taoiseach Brian Cowen on Thursday with a simple message – improve the road infrastructure into the county or face the prospect of job losses.
Fianna Fáil TD Beverley Flynn has organised the deputation to press for the vital road funding so the future of some 9,000 jobs in the county can be put on a stronger footing.
Chief executives from Baxter in Castlebar, Allergan in Westport and Hollister and Ballina Beverages in Ballina, together with Mayo Industries Group (MIG) Chairman Seán Hannick, are due to outline to Mr Cowen the disadvantage they suffer because of poor road links between the west and Dublin.
In particular, they will be pressing for assurances on upgrading a 50km stretch of the N5 between Ballaghaderreen and Longford – the section of road which they claim is undermining their competitive ability to manufacture and export their products from Mayo.
"The Mayo Industries Group represents the manufacturing companies which employ 3,000 Mayo people directly and a further 6,000 in indirect employment. These companies are competing on international markets where cost containment is vital and where costs of production will ultimately decide whether they can continue to operate in Mayo or not," said Deputy Flynn, who added that geographical location was a significant disadvantage for companies exporting on the world markets – particularly where the sub-standard N5 is driving up the cost of reaching customers.
"The poor road surface on this 50km stretch is adding excessively to the cost of transporting finished products from Mayo to Dublin. It costs Baxter an additional €400,000 a year to protect its products from being damaged on the road journey between Mayo and Longford. That is an expense which obviously cannot be sustained in a world economy where proximity to the market and razor-sharp distribution costs are a top priority."
Mr Pat O'Donnell, Managing Director of Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland, told a joint committee meeting of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Dáil Éireann recently of the urgent need among Mayo's business community to have the road upgraded.
"My own boss in the US commented that if the N5 was improved, it would be an ideal opportunity for Allergan to consider further investment in Westport. The global sourcing director for Hollister has said the road between Longford and Ballina is worse than any road leading to the company's plants around the world, including in India, and similar comments were made by the vice-president of manufacturing at Baxter. We are trying to encourage these people to make further investment in the area but they look upon it as a backwater by the time they get to Westport and Castlebar," said Mr O'Donnell, who added that the companies in MIG are significant players in Mayo's biggest towns and they are all well aware of their impact on the economy of the county.
"If one of these companies is lost, it will not be replaced and the IDA will confirm this for the committee. It would be almost impossible to replace a company providing between 800 and 1,000 jobs. Let us put the money into the infrastructure to retain the jobs we have. Let us try to build on that investment, move up the value chain and ensure the 9,000 jobs in place will be retained. If possible, let us try to build on them for the future."
Deputy Flynn confirmed that she will make it clear to the Taoiseach of the vital importance of road links to the west. 
"Seventy-five containers a day travel from Ballina, carrying 60 per cent of the world's entire coke concentrate. From Castlebar 70 per cent of Europe's renal dialysis solutions is exported every day. One hundred per cent of the world's Botox supply is exported from Westport. We must protect our existing jobs at this time when competitive pressure has never been greater and when global companies are being constantly drawn to locations where production costs are cheaper," added the Castlebar-based deputy. "

[downgirl]

My home town of Durrow was by passed last week, I was down there today but the lorries are still going through it because the toll is €6 for a lorry

Used it the first day it was open and again on Friday past, absolutely fantastic well worth the toll...managed to get home in 4 hours (granted I didn't leave Cork until 9.30pm so traffic would have been light anyway).  Total of 4 tolls from Cork to the border - Fermoy bypass €1.90, Abbeyleix €1.80, M50 €3?  I don't have to pay since I have a northern car and then at Dundalk €1.90.  Overall well worth the money if what used to be a 7+ hour drive can now be done in 4/4 1/2. 

Such a difference to 10 or 20 years ago; you now know when you are in the North due to the roads on our side being crap in comparison! 

[Hereiam]

My home town of Durrow was by passed last week, I was down there today but the lorries are still going through it because the toll is €6 for a lorry

I drove the new M7 section after Portlaoise the other day and I thought the surface was very poor for a new motorway. Very rough and bumpy in parts. What's the new M8 section like?

I commute a lot to Limerick and it's great not to have to go through that dump Mountrath anymore. Hopefully they'll pull the finger out and get the rest of the road done in the next few months. I've heard the Castletown-Nenagh section will be open by September. I reckon it'll be months before the Birdhill-Limerick section is open though - the clowns have a 600 yard stretch of road that's sinking into a bog at Silvermines! It's almost as bad as that rare snail that held up the Kildare/Monasterevan motorway for ages.

They are having the same problem on the upgrade of the dungannon ballygawley road. A section of it is sinking into bog. They made a decision to bring the new road across the old ballygawley road into this bog land which I believe has costed £8 million and now they have to spend more to solve this problem.

Progress

23 May 2010: The new roundabout at Ballygawley opened to traffic about a month ago. Currently traffic heading west on the A4 is diverted left onto the A5 for several hundred yards and then back again on the new road to the new roundabout. There has been a suggestion that the new roundabout has been accidentally sited about 10 metres from where it was supposed to have been built, but I can't confirm this. However, there do seem to be problems with construction of the new carriageway across a section of bog at Cabragh, near Quinn's Corner. According to the Irish News on 17th May (no free access to story online), both the road foundations and 160-foot piles that were inserted to stabilise the site have also disappeared. This is rather reminiscent of the problems currently facing the construction of the M7 in the Republic of Ireland, on a section known in the media as the 'bog of doom' which is facing similar problems on a larger scale.

Link below
http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a4dualling.html

[Celt_Man]

Now to the important stuff... Are there any speed cameras on it yet? And if so, where??

[ziggysego]

Now to the important stuff... Are there any speed cameras on it yet? And if so, where??

God is watching.