Major road safety moves on way for the village of Julianstown
A NUMBER of issues, particularly in relation to the heritage and visual aspects of the historic village, will have to be surmounted before An Bord Pleanala will allow over €400,000 in safety measures in the village of Julianstown.
Meath County Council planners are working on key elements of the plan that will see the carriageway through the village narrowed with traffic islands, a shared pedestrian and cycleway added and a raised table introduced at the Duleek junction.
The aim is to allow locals move more freely around the village and create a safer route from one end of the village to the other.
One element that the planners are trying to address is outside the ‘Swiss Cottages’ in the heart of the village.
They are attempting to line up the wall outside the Lime Kiln with an old ‘ butt wall’ outside the homes.
‘ The wall and the cottages are protected,’ the planners told councillors at last week’s area council meeting.
‘It is an issue. We have to meet residents and agree on a design. Some are on board with it, some not so much,’ it was revealed.
The plan is that at the north end of the village, the road will be reduced to 3m with central islands and at the Laytown junction, which works on a ‘courtesy system’, the idea of the ‘priority junction’ will prevail.
The fact that the project crosses the Nanny, all environmental considerations must be outlined and mitigation agreed with An Bord Pleanala.
It is expected that the proposals will go to the Board in May or June. It will be next year before works begin if the green light can be secured.
It has been three years since funding was sourced. When works do begin, it is likely to be in small sections of 150m to prevent too much of a build up of traffic. Cllr Stephen McKee asked that a bus lane be considered in a wider plan as Matthews provide a great service, but get clogged up on the roads.
The council felt the roadway was too narrow for bus lanes.
Councillors were in agreement that the works were badly needed, with Cllr Sharon Keogan asking if they could be done at night, but noise issues could rule that out, she was informed.