CPO land move to pave way for bypass of Slane

The Slane bypass has moved a step nearer reality as the National Roads Authority (NRA) prepares to publish the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project. Notices are expected to be sent to affected landowners in the near future and written submissions will be invited from the public concerning the CPO and the EIS. The news has been welcomed by Deputy Thomas Byrne who said he was pleased that approval has just been granted by the NRA to publish the CPO and EIS. "The NRA assure me that they are fully in favour of a bypass for Slane and that they are working alongside alongside Meath County Council to advance the project as quickly as possible," he said. "As we all know, road safety will greatly improve with the delivery of the bypass and Slane village will also be better positioned to maximise its huge tourist and cultural potential. Both Cllr Wayne Harding and I will keep pushing hard for the swift delivery of this bypass for Slane residents," he added. "The start date for construction will, of course, depend on the granting of planning approval for the project. I will continue to exert as much pressure as I possibly can to get the job under way as soon as possible," he said. John Ryle of the Slane Bridge Action Committee welcomed the news and said that, at last, it seemed as if something concrete was happening. "We are looking forward to this with expectation and we hope it will now go ahead without delay," he said. Mr Ryle said the bypass was badly needed. "I know they are doing a lot of traffic-calming but the major issue is that most of the accidents in Slane are caused by runaway trucks and no traffic lights or other traffic-calming measures will stop a runaway truck," he said. "That is the basic problem. We are in an accident backspot and the only way to deal with it is a whole new road," he said. Mr Ryle said that last March's accident in Slane, which involved two trucks and six cars and resulted in the hospitalisation of six people, showed that, no matter what is done, you cannot prevent an accident like that. He said it was a miracle there hadn't been a fatality in Slane that day.