National Primary Route 3 Traffic Counts
Sources: TII Traffic Data and now-defunct NRA Traffic Count Data. More counters.
1997
Traffic levels on the N3 are low on all but the sections close to Dublin. The M3, which opened in 2010, seems overspecced for such levels, especially beyond Dunshaughlin. In 2010 in the graph above the traffic counters switch from the old road to the new one.
It seems that the new road has not succeeded in pulling a significant percentage of vehicles off the old road. As of 2016, around 30-50% of the total traffic on the M3 and old N3 is still on the old route. For example, at Dunboyne, 20000 vehicles per day travel on the old N3 and 18000 on the M3. This means that only 48% of the total traffic is on the motorway. At Tara, 30% of the traffic is on the old road, and south of Kells, it is back up to 41%.
Show notes on counter locations
N3 Counters (Kells, Tara and Dunshauglin now decommissioned):
GMitchellBr N03-1c : N3 immediately south of Fermanagh/Cavan border
Cavan Bypass N03-4 : N3 Cavan Bypass between two Ballyhaise Junctions
Poles N03-6 : N3 5km south of Cavan
Kells N03-13 : N3 6km north of Navan
Tara N03-17 : N3 8km south of Navan
Dunshauglin N03-19 : N3 East of Dunshaughlin
M3 Counters (went live in 2010):
Kells South M3-9a : M3 South of N52 to Kells
Navan North M3-8a : M3 North of N51 interchange to Navan
Navan South M3-7a : M3 South of N51 interchange to Navan
Blundelstown North M3-6a : M3 North of Blundlestown interchange
Dunshaughlin North M3-5a : M3 North of Dunshaughlin interchange
Dunshaughlin South M3-4a : M3 Between Pace and Dunshaughlin
Dunboyne M3-3a : M3 between Clonee and Pace
Dunshaughlin South
Dunshaughlin South - Year on Year Growth
Tara/Blundelstown
Tara/Blundelstown - Year on Year Growth
Poles (5km South of Cavan)
Poles - Year on Year Growth
Cavan Bypass
Cavan Bypass - Year on Year Growth
