An alternative route to the M3 motorway in Meath was unveiled yesterday, shortly after the Campaign to Save Tara group announced that they had begun a fresh High Court action to the proposed route.
The Campaign to Save Tara has served a plenary summons on the Ministers for the Environment and Transport, the Attorney General, the National Roads Authority and others.
It is seeking a ruling that construction be halted on the M3 motorway pending the outcome of a case before the European Court of Justice relating to the Lismullin monument.
The action has been taken in the name of environmental campaigner Michael Canny. In the plenary summons, he claims that an environmental impact assessment should have been prepared for all seven routes considered, before the preferred route was chosen.
He says an environmental impact assessment should now be carried out on the whole route and he claims that the original archaeological works were flawed. The National Roads Authority said it was ready to defend any action against the development and was confident that its legal position was safe.
In a separate development, transport researcher Brian Guckian and environmental campaigner Tadhg Crowley have launched a plan for the Tara-Skryne Valley which they say represents a "win-win solution" for all sides.
Their "Master" (Meath Archaeological Sustainable and Economic Region plan involves using the proposed M3 motorway from Clonee to north of Dunshaughlin. The road would then switch to a 2+1 design, which involves one lane in each direction and a third lane to provide for overtaking. The third lane alternates between each side at 2km intervals and is separated from oncoming traffic with a barrier.
This format would continue along the N3 but would then veer west to bypass Navan and Kells.
The promoters said tolls would not be necessary as the modifications to the motorway would save significantly on the capital costs. They have called for the buying out of the public private partnership contract.
Mr Guckian claimed the Navan rail link was being stalled because it would have a negative impact on tolls collected.
He said this plan would clear the way for the rapid introduction of the rail link. The plan also provides for improved high capacity coach services.
He said the National Roads Authority had rejected the 2+1 design on the basis that people would try to overtake just before the second lane ended. However, Mr Guckian said it had been proven that the design had reduced serious crashes by 50 per cent in Sweden.
The plan also involves the creation of a world heritage park, including the settlements of Navan, Kells, Trim, Slane and Dunshaughlin.
They estimate that this would attract at least 400,000 visitors a year, generating more than €75 million in tourism revenue.
The plan calls for sustainable agriculture and tourism measures and self sufficient business development. The promoters costed the plan at €1.2 billion, including the road and rail construction and buy-out of the toll contract. They said this compared with a €1.5 billion estimate for the M3.
