The M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme is one of the largest single road scheme projects to be constructed in the Irish state and elicited celebrations when it opened almost two months early. Bypassing Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells, it has the potential to cut an hour or more off peak-time journeys between County Cavan and Dublin.
The scheme includes some 63km of motorway together with 61km of associated local county and link roads. There were a total of 59 structures constructed (35 overbridges, 19 underpasses, 3 river bridges and 2 bridges over railways) together with 39 structural culverts. Two of the river crossings were erected across the River Boyne and the River Blackwater. The former was a post-tensioned deck construction spanning some 250m. Two toll plazas were also built as part of the scheme.
The construction of the M3 scheme was carried out under a public-private partnership (PPP) contract with Barry Transportation guiding its client, the National Roads Authority, through the tender process, followed by the construction and works monitoring phase. Earlier in the project lifecycle, Barry Transportation had brought a section of the scheme from conception through to the planning approval stage.
"The M3 is one of the biggest road projects to open in Europe this year. Opening ahead of schedule, it marks another major achievement in the government’s delivery of the most ambitious road programme in our history."
Mr. Noel Dempsey
Ireland’s minister for transport