What happened to the bypass of Duleek village?
WHAT happened to the Duleek bypass project is a question local councillors want answered.
Cllr Tom Kelly raised the issue at last week’s council meeting in Duleek, when asking the council to appoint consultants for both Julianstown and Duleek to progress schemes for both areas.
But for Cllr Sharon Keogan, it was a case of what actually happened to a plan for a bypass of Duleek.
She said a route had been selected - but that was it.
‘I can’t understand why it’s not happening. Why did it not progress, was there not a commitment to deliver on this,’ she stated.
‘I think someone in Leinster House needs to bang on a few tables!’
She said that she brought the issue of a HGV ban for the village to council some months ago and says she will be returning with it.
‘And there was €300,000 allocated to Julianstown six months ago and what has been done since,’ she asked.
Cllr Stephen McKee said he believed a route had been selected for a Duleek bypass and it went to Part 8.
‘ The works in Duleek at present are welcome but they are short term,’ he added.
Tom Kelly said there was a design done for a Julianstown bypass and again nothing was done with it.
‘ There is a high volume of traffic in that area and it is essential that proper traffic management is done for it. It is a chaotic situation and there are 21,000 vehicle movements each day. That’s a serious amount.’
He added that they were still ‘rooting around looking for a bypass for Slane’ and nothing had happened in 20 years on it.
He suggested they go to see the minister on Slane and the two other areas.
However, Cllr Wayne Harding said that people in Slane were suffering hardship and tragedy at times, but it was on a national plan. ‘But it cannot fail this time, it is making progress.’
He said €1.2m was being spent on the plan this year.
‘It received extraordinary objections the last time and that was completely wrong. The plan can have no holes in it this time,’ he stated. Cllr Sharon Tolan agreed, saying the commitment was there for Slane, something Cathaoirleach Paddy Meade also backed.