M3 motorway (Northern Ireland)

Motorway in Northern Ireland

This article is about the road in Northern Ireland. For other uses, see M3 (disambiguation).

M3 highlighted in blue

Route information
Length| 0.8 mi (1,300 m)
Existed| 1995–present
History| Constructed 1995–1998
Major junctions
West end|  M2
Major intersections| City centre
East end|  A2 Sydenham Bypass
Location
Country| United Kingdom
Constituent country| Northern Ireland
Primary
destinations| Bangor, Belfast
Road network

* Roads in Northern Ireland

* Motorways
* A roads in Northern Ireland

| ←  M2| | →  A2

|
|

The M3 is a 0.8-mile-long (1.3 km) urban motorway that connects the M2 in north Belfast, Northern Ireland to the A2 Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast. It is the shortest motorway in Northern Ireland, and one of the busiest, carrying 60,000 vehicles per day as of 2005.[1] It has a permanent speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h).

## History

[edit]

The M3 was originally planned in 1956 as the Eastern Approach, named the M3 the following year, which would run from east Belfast to Bangor. The plan was extended to include an orbital Belfast Urban Motorway, close to the city centre, in 1964.[2] Due to a combination of financial cutbacks and public opposition construction of the M3 never took place and the Belfast Urban Motorway was downgraded to the A12 Westlink dual-carriageway and only partially completed.[3] Traffic had to make do with crossing the River Lagan on the Queen's Bridge and using the A2 to Bangor.

In 1987 the government announced a plan to build a new bridge across the Lagan connecting the M2 directly to the A2.[4] It was built in two stages: the Lagan Bridge section connecting to the M2 opened on 22 January 1995 while the link to the A2 opened three years later in May 1998.[5] The route was designated as the M3, although it is not the same scheme as the one originally expected to be the M3.[6] Construction of this road was unusual as government policy was against the construction of new urban motorways.

## Junctions

[edit]

This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. Please consult this guideline for information on how to create one. Please improve this article if you can. (December 2021)

|

The M3 from the Sydenham Bypass, 2007 M3 motorway

Eastbound exits  | Junction  | Westbound exits
End of motorway
M2 motorway continues
M2 The NORTH, Docks (N), International Airport
A12 The WEST, The SOUTH, Docks (S)  | 1a  | Start of motorway
Lagan Bridge
Start of motorway | 1  | End of motorway
A2 dual carriageway continues
City Airport Bangor, Newtownards A2
Titanic Quarter, Belfast (E), Newcastle

## M3 Lagan Bridge

[edit]

The M3 crosses the River Lagan on a 160m-long, 37m-wide arched concrete bridge. This bridge is actually two separate, parallel spans, made of pre-cast segments.[7]

Next crossing upstream | River Lagan | Next crossing downstream

|
|

Dargan Bridge | M3 Lagan Bridge | None

## See also

[edit]

* Roads in Ireland
* List of motorways in the United Kingdom

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Northern Ireland Roads Site – M3
2. ^ Northern Ireland Roads Site – Belfast Urban Motorway
3. ^ Northern Ireland Roads Site – Westlink
4. ^ The Motorway Archive – M3 (Northern Ireland) Archived 10 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "The Motorway Archive – M3 (Northern Ireland) Dates Page". Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2006.
6. ^ Northern Ireland Roads Site – History of Motorway Plans
7. ^ "M3 Motorway – Northern Ireland". wesleyjohnston.com. Retrieved 16 February 2018.

## External links

[edit]

KML file (edit • help)

Template:Attached KML/M3 motorway (Northern Ireland)

KML is from Wikidata

* CBRD Motorway Database – M3 (Northern Ireland)
* Northern Ireland Roads Site
* M3
* Belfast Urban Motorway
* The Motorway Archive – M3 (Northern Ireland)

* v
* t
* e

Roads in Northern Ireland

Motorways|

* M1
* M2
* M3
* M5
* M12
* M22
* A8(M)

Main 'A' roads|

* A1
* A2
* A3
* A4
* A5
* A6
* A7
* A8
* A12
* A20
* A21
* A22
* A23
* A25
* A24
* A26
* A29
* A32
* A34
* A36
* A37
* A38
* A40
* A43
* A46
* A47
* A55
* A505
* A515
* A509

Main 'B' roads|

* B1
* B52
* B53
* B136
* B193

Others|

* Antrim Road
* Botanic Avenue
* Crumlin Road
* Donegall Square
* Donegall Road
* Falls Road
* Glenshane Pass
* Great Victoria Street
* Lisburn Road
* Malone Road
* Ormeau Road
* Royal Avenue
* Sandy Row
* Shaftesbury Square
* Shankill Road
* Shore Road
* Springfield Road
* Stranmillis Road
* Westlink

* v
* t
* e

Motorways in the United Kingdom

Great Britain|

* M1
* M11
* M18
* M180
* M181
* A1(M)
* A167(M)
* A194(M)
* A1077(M)

* M2
* M20
* M23
* M25
* M26
* M27
* M271
* M275

* M3
* M32
* A3(M)
* A38(M)
* A308(M)
* A329(M)

* M4
* M40
* M42
* M45
* M48
* M49
* A48(M)
* A404(M)

* M5
* M50
* M53
* M54
* M55
* M56
* M57
* M58
* A57(M)
* A58(M)

* M6
* M6 Toll
* M60
* M61
* M62
* M65
* M66
* M67
* M69
* M602
* M606
* M621
* A64(M)
* A66(M)
* A627(M)

* M73
* M74
* M77
* A74(M)

* M8
* M80
* M876
* M898
* A8(M)
* A823(M)

* M9
* M90

Northern Ireland|

* M1
* M2
* M3
* M5
* M12
* M22
* A8(M)

Former|

* M10
* M41
* M63
* M85
* A18(M)
* A40(M)
* A41(M)
* A102(M)
* A601(M)
* A6144(M)

Unbuilt|

* M12
* M15
* M16
* M31
* M64
* M4 relief road

Junctions
( Category)|

* Almondsbury
* Broxden
* Catthorpe
* Charing Cross, Glasgow
* Denton Island
* Handy Cross
* Longbridge
* Lydiate Ash
* Scotch Corner
* Spaghetti Junction
* Switch Island
* Thorney
* Thorpe
* Thurcroft
* Worsley

Bridges|

* Auchenshuggle
* Avonmouth
* Bromford
* Don
* Friarton
* Gathurst
* Kingston
* Medway
* to Nowhere
* Ouse
* Rakewood
* Scammonden
* Prince of Wales
* Severn
* Thames
* Thelwall
* Tinsley
* Queensferry
* Usk
* Weaver

Related articles|

* National Highways
* Traffic officers
* South Wales Trunk Road Agent
* Traffic officers
* Transport Scotland
* DfI Roads
* Preston By-pass
* Smart motorway
* Motorway service area
* List

* Category
* Commons

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