Suggestions on M3 from United States

Dear sir - The M3 was never going to be and never will be profitable. The initial guaranteed traffic was estimated at thousands more than the traffic on the N3. Ignoring the fact that much local traffic and a significant amount of HGV traffic, as was already happening on the M1, would not use it to avoid the tolls. This toll avoidance creates havoc in Slane village and surrounds. The NRA's future traffic projections were quite simply bizarre. It is equally disturbing and unviable to continue to have major road embedded in the vulnerable Rath Lugh national monument. The longterm solution to both problems is to renegotiate the contract by re-routing the Tara section of M3 with the proposed Lenister Orbital (less than 5km of extra road) bringing it north of Navan and Slane to properly by-pass both towns and allow development along the route. The combined toll road will have a better chance of success and a Heritage trail built along the old M3 section, will provide extra traffic and many extra jobs in tourism for Meath heritage landscapes satellite towns. Meath is ideally situated for both local Dubliners and UK tourists as a get-away-from-it-all weekend destination. Unlike Killarney which thrives off it's assets, bad policies means that Meath simply flounders, wasting it's natural assets. An M3 reroute is a opportunity to change this white elephant into a golden goose. The enthusiasm of Meath ICA and other local organisations in seeing the potential for branding and economic prosperity within the proposed Tara Landscape designation, show that it is not the people but the political will that is lacking. Fine Gael and Labour made fine words in opposition, can they turn them into action in government? Yours, Pauline Bleach 50 Egan St, Newtown, NSW 2042.