The project is called the ‘N3 Virginia Bypass’. A project description can be found on the Home Page of the project website; www.n3virginiabypass.ie
Barry Transportation has been appointed as Technical Advisor by Cavan County Council to progress the scheme through the planning and design phases.
The development of the scheme is subject to the relevant approvals and funding being provided.
What is the relevance of input from members of the public?
The Project Team will consider all submissions from members of the public, such as feedback received through the public consultation processes or identification of local issues. This will contribute to the development of the option selection process and scheme design.
What is the Need for the Project?
The project aims to deliver on the strategies and objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF) - Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021 to 2030. The scheme will address the continuing main issues of congestion, safety and journey time along the N3 national primary road in the vicinity of Virginia, Co. Cavan. The project will improve accessibility within the county as well as regional and national accessibility to and from north-west and Border region.
Now that the Preferred Transport Solution has been identified, will planning applications be processed on the other rejected option corridors?
A reduced planning referral boundary that follows a c. 300m to 600m offset from the extent of the Preferred Transport Solution corridor, plus the whole of Virginia Town and Deerpark Area will be issued to both the planning departments of Cavan County Council and Meath County Council. This is to ensure that the Project Team is aware of proposed developments in the area so they can be assessed for impact with the proposed Scheme, including connectivity to Active Travel Facilities. Therefore planning applications within the proximity of other rejected option corridors will no longer be referred to the Design Team.
What will the status of bypassed sections of national roads be post completion?
The status of bypassed sections of national road has not been determined at this time. Bypassed sections of national roads may remain as a national road or may be reclassified to regional or local roads following construction of new sections of the national route. It is likely however that the section of the N3 that will be bypassed will be declassified to a Regional Road similar to that following the construction of the M3/N3 around Kells and Navan.
How likely is the scheme to be built?
The N3 Virginia Bypass is specifically highlighted within a list of key projects in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030. Advancement of the scheme is subject to ongoing funding and statutory approvals.
Will the schemes involve demolition of property?
The Preferred Transport Solution corridor is approximately 14.5km in length. Each property is considered a constraint and in so far as possible, the scheme will seek to avoid and/or minimise impacts. However, it is likely that some residential properties will be affected, and some may need to be acquired to facilitate the scheme.
How will land be acquired? Will I be compensated?
Given the scale of the project, it is likely that all lands required for the Scheme will be acquired by a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). Should any part of a person’s land/ property holding be included in the CPO, the land/property owner is entitled to compensation . This may also be the case for a person who may have an interest in any land/ property identified in the CPO. Compensation will be provided in accordance with CPO legislation.
Has a traffic assessment been completed?
The traffic data collection surveys that took place in September 2020 informed the preliminary traffic model that was used in the assessment of the options to assist in establishing the Preferred Transport Solution. An updated suite of traffic surveys will be used to inform the detailed traffic model when progressing through to Phase 3 (Design and Environmental Evaluation).
How close is my land/property to the new road?
The road-based corridor presented in the Preferred Transport Solution is typically 300m wide, with some localised widening to allow for further refinement of the design in Phase 3 (Design and Environmental Evaluation). The corridor does not represent the actual width of the scheme nor the lands to be acquired. The exact details of the lands to be acquired will be determined during Phase 3.
How will the scheme be progressed?
The scheme will be progressed in accordance with TII’s Project Management Guidelines, in combination with TII’s Project Appraisal Guidelines, and applicable regulations and guidance. The scheme is currently at the very end of Phase 2 Option Selection . The Project Team will shortly seek approval to proceed to Phase 3 (Design and Environmental Evaluation).