Julianstown to pip Duleek to bypass?
IT’S looking more likely that Julianstown will get a new bypass before Duleek.
And that has upset local councillor Stephen McKee (right) who says that a bypass of Duleek is contained in the County Development Plan and the fight for it goes back to the 1980s. ‘ Jimmy Cudden campaigned for it for years,’ he stated.
In 2009, some €150,000 was spent on route selection and in 2011, it was to go to Part 8 and Meath CC were ‘ committed to progressing it.’
He had asked at a recent council meeting what stage the bypass was at and was it going to be included in the national plan for capital investment 2016-2021.
But an answer from the council was deemed ‘unacceptable’ by the councilor.
They say that major improvement works commenced in Duleek in March 2017 with a view to reducing the speed of HGVs passing through the village.
‘While it was suggested that Meath CC would try and progress a bypass for Duleek, to date there has been no correspondence with the department on this matter , as Meath CC are actively working and focusing its efforts in this area with the relevant authorities to progress a capital scheme bypass in Julianstown,’ they stated.
‘Now Duleek is going down the pecking order and is off the radar completely. I welcome the works done in the village but long term it needs a bypass,’ he stated.
Meath CC say that they have been targeting projects under the capital programme and the idea of a bypass for Julianstown seems to be the one getting some ‘ traction’ with the department. Therefore, they have been working to get it included on the national list. ‘Duleek is not being considered by them,’ a spokesperson added.