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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. 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. 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. Traffic had to make do with crossing the River Lagan on the Queen's Bridge and using the A2 to Bangor.

However in 1987 the government announced a plan to build a new bridge across the Lagan connecting the M2 directly to the A2. 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. The route was designated as the M3, although it is not the same scheme as the one originally expected to be the M3. 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

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)
5. The Motorway Archive - M3 (Northern Ireland) Dates Page
6. Northern Ireland Roads Site - History of Motorway Plans

External links

• 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
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 [REDACTED] Commons

• Motorways in Northern Ireland
• Transport in Belfast
• Bridges in Northern Ireland