Just days left in Virginia bypass consultation

Linking Derver to Lisgrey, and running north of Lough Ramor, the chosen ‘Route C’ connects to Burrencarragh south of Virginia town and the R195 Oldcastle road.

There are just days left before the latest phase of public consultation in relation to the Emerging Preferred Option Corridor for the N3 Virginia Bypass scheme ends.

Consultation ends runs up until next Monday, September 13, with the public actively encouraged to engage with the project team, via electronic/written/phone submission.

All information and drawings on the project available to be viewed at HERE, while a drawing of the preferred route is also on display at Virginia Show Centre.

Linking Derver to Lisgrey, and running north of Lough Ramor, the chosen ‘Route C’ connects to Burrencarragh south of Virginia town and the R195 Oldcastle road.

It could include as many as three roundabouts, located at either end, with another forming a junction at the R178 Bailieborough Road unless overpassed.

This is the third phase of public consultation, after the second completed online late last year, from which five corridor options emerged, with variations and potential link roads between each.

A key commitment for the region under the Government’s Ireland 2040 plan, JB Barry Transportation Ltd is tasked with guiding the project through planning and design phases.

Barry Transportation, who previously worked on the delivery of the section of the M3 Clonee to North of Kells and M1 Northern Motorway, was hired after the council’s previous design for the route, agreed as far back as 2003, was binned.

The next steps include Design and Environmental Evaluation (Q4 21/Q1 22) and then, subject to Government approval, a formal planning submission, followed by Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Compulsory Purchase Orders, due Summer/Autumn 2023.

The final phases (5-7) will require a multi-disciplinary consultancy team and take into account the substantial increase in traffic volume along the M3/N3. This will be the subject of a separate tendering process, not expected until at least 2024.

It has also been noted previously that the seven-phase bypass could take up to 10 years to deliver.

At least €2m will be spent in the coming years moving the council’s bypass plan forward, which is being delivered in tandem with their local authority counterparts in Meath and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The total estimated cost of the project once complete could reach as high as €130m.

Cavan County Council believe, once delivered, the bypass will greatly improve safety on the N3, as well drastically reducing congestion, which has blighted Virginia town for years.

To find out more, visit http://n3virginiabypass.ie, email n3virginiabypass@jbbarry.ie, or call 01 485 1400 during normal office hours.

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