Call for ‘treacherous’ Navan road to be made one-way

Boreen Keel in Navan has been described as the most treacherous route in the town, amid calls for it to be made one way.

Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said it is one of the busiest roads in the town, yet people have to step off the footpath if they meet another pedestrian.

“Boreen Keel needs to be made one-way only, therefore allowing for the safe passage of the many local residents who use this path every day,” he said.

"The stretch of road from Emmet Terrace down to the roundabout at Canon Row is the most treacherous route in the Navan area, if not the county. This is one of the busiest routes to and from the town centre with a constant stream of traffic going in both directions.

“The pathway is three feet wide at its widest point and allowing for signage poles, it narrows to just over two feet wide.

“Anybody walking on this path must step out onto the roadway to allow a fellow pedestrian to pass by.

“If a family or parent and child are using the path, they must walk in single file. It is just not safe.

“I would challenge any engineer, traffic consultant or expert to explain to me how this path can be used in a safe manner.”

Paddy Keegan who lives in the corner of Boreen Keel and St Patrick's Terrace agreed that it needed to become a one way route.

“The footpath is just too narrow and cars have hit the corner of my house coming down the hill, losing their wing mirrors.

“There have been accidents, it is too narrow and the traffic speeds along it and people exiting St Patrick's cannot see oncoming traffic.

“We have two elderly residents here who use mobility scooters who cannot get out onto the road. I have often gone out to stop the traffic to let them out,” he said.

“If two pedestrians meet, one has to step off the path.”

Cllr Fitzsimons said that the Canon Row/Boreen Keel/ Brews Hill triangle was included in an application for the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF), but the scheme failed to secure funding in this round of allocations.

At a recent meeting of Navan Municipal Council he sought information on funding for improvements at Boreen Keel.

“I was told that it may be considered in the future but only when the Navan 2030 Scheme is complete.

“This cannot wait. This is not a national primary route and it is within our remit to investigate solutions outside of the 2030 Scheme.

“The 2030 scheme is bringing massive improvements to the town but it doesn't mean that we ignore all other traffic and pedestrian problems. We have a fantastic playground amenity on Boreen Keel but the only way to access it safely is by car. Surely, this flies in the face of all efforts to improve pedestrian permeability within the town,” he said.