M3 motorway (Northern Ireland)

M3 motorway
Length	0.8 miles (1.3 km)
Direction	East - West
Start	M2
Primary destinations	Bangor
End	A2 Sydenham Bypass
Construction dates	1995 - 1998
Motorways joined	M2 Motorway

This page refers to the M3 in Northern Ireland. For other uses see M3

The M3 is an urban motorway 0.8 miles (1.3 km) in length 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]. Whilst classed as a motorway it has a permanent speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h).

History

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] However 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.

The M3 from the Sydenham Bypass.

However 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

See also

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

References

External links

• CBRD Motorway Database - M3 (Northern Ireland)
• Northern Ireland Roads Site
  • M3
  • Belfast Urban Motorway
• The Motorway Archive - M3 (Northern Ireland)

•  • e Roads and Motorways in Northern Ireland
Motorways	M1 · M2 · M3 · M5 · M12 · M22 · A8(M)
Main 'A' Roads	A1 · A2 · A3 · A4 · A5 · A6 · A7 · A12 · A20 · A24 · A26 · A29 · A36 · A509
Others	Donegall Square · Donegall Road · Falls Road · Glenshane Pass · Lisburn Road · Malone Road · Shankill Road · Westlink

•  • e Motorways in the United Kingdom
Great Britain	M1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M10 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898 A1(M) • A3(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A167(M) • A194(M) A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A823(M)
Northern Ireland	M1 • M2 • M3 • M5 • M12 • M22 • A8(M)
Past	M16 • M41 • M63 • A18(M) • A40(M) • A41(M) • A102(M) • A6144(M)
Unbuilt	M12 • M13 • M15 • M31 • M64
Future	M4 Toll