Village improvements form part of Slane Bypass project
A PUBLIC realm plan for Slane will form part of the application for the Slane N2 Bypass Project it was announced at a recent Laytown/Bettystown Municipal District council meeting.
The public realm plan will include speed reduction measures towards the centre of the village, defined spaces and narrowed streets to create more space and an improved layout, it will also include a new junction at the square, a new footpath and public lighting.
The project has advanced to phase three design and environmental evaluation and the design of the bypass is nearing completion.
A public display of the scheme is on track for later this year and the project will be submitted to An Bord Pleanala in the second quarter of 2022.
The preferred route for the Bypass will take traffic to the east of the village, is 3.4km long and runs from the existing N2 at a location 500m north of McGruder's crossroads.
It continues through Fennor and Crewbane and the route crosses the Boyne 630m east of the existing Slane Bridge. It then goes on through the townlands of Cashel and Mooretown and passes Ledwidge Cottage on the Drogheda side. It rejoins the N2 some 4 to 5m north of the entrance to Grassland Agro Plant.
Fianna Fail Cllr Wayne Harding welcomed the development:
“The difference that this will make will be phenomenal. If you get the trucks off the road that goes through the N2 then you start making a difference in Slane and then you can start enhancing the public realm.”
Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade said: “The public realm being integrated with the scheme makes perfect sense, if the bypass is built it will make such an impact on the town, the ambience will be so much better.”
It was revealed earlier this month that 23 new white crosses will be erected on the approach to the bridge Slane made by Slane Men's Shed in memory of those who have lost their lives in traffic accidents in the village.
Every day 11,000 vehicles pass through Slane and 2,000 of them are heavy goods vehicles.