The main elements of the third plan were the development of a national motorway network between the major cities in Ireland.

This involved the widening of a section of the route to three lanes in each direction and the removal of several at-grade junctions.

In 2010, upgrade works the now-complete M50 motorway Dublin inner ring road were finalised.

By early 2009, some progress had been made on the Atlantic Corridor, which aims to link Letterkenny to Waterford, via upgrades of the N15, N17, N18, N20 and N25.

In November 2008 work commenced on the 22 km section of the N18 HQDC from Crusheen to Gort.

The M20 Cork-Limerick route is at public consultation stage and an EIS and motorway order are due to be published around April next year.

These operate north to Dundalk, northwest to Maynooth, southwest to Portlaoise and south to Gorey.

Major projects undertaken were the upgrade of Heuston Station in Dublin to nine platforms and the new railcar servicing depot in Drogheda.

Other measures to improve disabled access were implemented, and park and ride facilities were developed.

Over 100 "regional railcars" were ordered, in the form DMUs currently in use on peripheral services that are not commuter-only.