Possible ban on five-axle trucks through Slane

The banning of five-axle trucks from driving through Slane has been suggested in a consultant's report on the impact of heavy traffic on the village, presented to Meath County Council. The first phase of a study into possible traffic management alternatives - principally proposals to ban HGVs - on the N2 through the village was carried out by consultants Aecom on behalf of Meath County Council, following the Bord Pleanála decision to refuse permission for a bypass of Slane in March this year. The consultants concluded that a ban on HGVs with five or more axles would represent the most manageable approach for implementing vehicle size restrictions in the village. They predicted that this would generate "slight safety benefits on the overall network" and an improvement in air quality in the village. "At this stage, the traffic model has indicated that the level of the overall safety benefit is very small. This is because the rerouted traffic has to travel further on roads of varying standard, some of which are of lower classification than the N2 national primary road and which have deficiencies of their own". The council said that it was important for the public to understand that this issue did not just affect Slane. "The rerouted HGVs will travel on other roads which affect different parts of the county, such as the R152 gbetween Kilmoon Cross and Drogheda (passing Duleek) and on the R153 between the N2 and Navan (through Kentstown). Meath County Council is making the Aecom report available on its website and will invite the public to make submissions on it.