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Thu 08 Aug 2003Alternative motorway too radical for NRAAnalysis: An Bord Pleanála's approval for the new M3 motorway indicates that it is prepared to rubber-stamp major road schemes without examining alternatives, writes Frank McDonald, Environment EditorThree years ago, the National Roads Authority (NRA) was presented with a classic example of lateral thinking. Given that the existing N2 and N3 national routes are just 12 kilometres apart, why not build one new motorway in between instead of replacing them with two new motorways?