NAVAN TO SLANE N51 WILL NOW CLOSE IN THE NEW YEAR AFTER FEARS
PADDY MEADE SAVES CHRISTMAS FOR SLANE!
CLLR Paddy Meade has welcomed the decision not to close the N51 Slane/ Navan Road between Slane Castle Demesne/ Castleparks and Blackcastle, which he felt would have had a disasterous impact on trading in Slane before Christmas.
The closure, for works on the road, will now happen after Christmas.
‘ I mounted a campaign opposing the planned road closure of Navan to Slane N51 in December for the purpose of safe garding Slane business in the run up to Christmas and secondly as despite the planned diversion being via Kilberry, it was my belief that more trafic would travel on the Boyne Road via Haystown Filling Station, Beauparc, Rosnaree and Donore which is currently in a terrible condition and wouldn’t be fit for it,’ he stated.
It is now hoped that the council can complete repairs on the Boyne Road in advance of the closure.
‘ The decision makes sense,’ the councillor added, stating that locals had also been very vocal, including Ms. Emma Croghan and Mr. John Callaghan both from Beauparc who both made submissions to Meath County Council with strong points being made by them on the impact the closure would have on the Boyne Road.
‘Slane Village (Friendliest Place in Ireland 2019) has had its business crucified this year by road closures and so this is serious relief coming up to Christmas,’ he stated.
The councillor says that when the road does close, it will have to be monitored.
‘ The council are obligated to detour the traffic of the N51 Navan Slane Road onto a regional road and so they suggest detour will go From Slane to Kilberry via the R163 and from Kilberry to Navan via the R162 however the public are aware that L1601 running from Drogheda to Navan along side the river Boyne via Donore, Beauparc, Haystown is a considerably shorter route and so they will use this route.
‘Google Maps on the last two occasions that the N51 was closed between Navan and Slane directed traffic to cross the dangerous bridge in Stackallen and onto the L1601 and not via Kilberry. So I would ask this the council contact Google to inform them of the detour route.’