Scrapping of motorway plan is condemned

THE shelving of plans for a new motorway link between Drogheda, Navan and Naas has been greeted with fury in Meath amid claims that it will have a detrimental impact on major infrastructure projects.

Public representatives fear negative consequences, particularly for the proposed new regional hospital for the north-east and the massive new port development on the Meath-Dublin border at Bremore.

The Government has come under attack for its decision not to proceed with the outer orbital route around Dublin, which had been predicted to take up to 55,000 vehicles daily off existing Meath roads. 

Public representatives have warned it would severely damage any economic spin-off the county could enjoy from the development of the new Drogheda Port facility at Bremore. There were also warnings that it could impact on the choice of location for the new regional hospital.

"The building of this road was to be a key piece of the jigsaw in the development of the new regional hospital to serve the people of Meath and the north-east. The decision to abandon the road project places a cloud over the future of the new hospital," according to Deputy Shane McEntee of Fine Gael.

"Early last year, the Taoiseach gave his support for the outer orbital route in the run-up to the general election. The National Roads Authority (NRA) had recommended that the project was feasible and should proceed but the political will was never present to make it happen," he alleged.

Deputy McEntee said it had been anticipated the route would carry 55,000 vehicles a day, which would have reduced the massive pressure on our existing roads network and improved road safety.  

"I am convinced this project should proceed. Now is not the time to abandon it.  It would be an investment in the future of the north-east and open up great opportunities for north Meath," he said.

Senator Dominic Hannigan said that, with the M50 seriously congested, the need for this route was obvious. "This is an essential road, especially for heavy lorries from Northern Ireland and from the proposed new port at Bremore, who are travelling south," he said. 

"The outer orbital route would have meant traffic from Northern Ireland heading for places like Cork and Limerick would not have to brave the M50 or look for an alternative route via the back roads of Meath. It would have taken them straight to Naas."

The economic spin-off for the east Meath area of the new port could be lost because of the abandonment of the outer orbital route, claimed Colr Tom Kelly.

"The port would have created a huge economic spin-off for the east Meath area but it must have the road structure in place to serve traffic from the port to the west and south. Dublin needs an outer orbital route," he said.

Colr Jim Holloway described the shelving of the route as disastrous and warned that heavy lorries would continue to travel along the side roads and villages of Meath in order to get to the south of the country. "Even with three lanes, the M50 will not be able to cope," he predicted.

The route was described as one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the country by Navan FF councillor Tommy Reilly who voiced his concern at the impact the Green Party was having on the Government.

"The NRA had given the green light and the Taoiseach had said it was a great idea and I am annoyed to see the Government pandering to the Green Party," he said. "This would have taken up to 60,000 vehicles a day out of Dublin and would have provided a great opportunity for the building of a hospital, college and other major projects in Meath," he said.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey's spokesman, Colr Jimmy Fegan said that the project had never been part of Transport 21 but had been a long-term aspiration for the counties along its route.