Call for pedestrian crossing on busy thoroughfare

An accident at the roundabout on the old Kells Road near the entrance to St Patrick's Classical School on Friday has led to renewed calls for a pedestrian crossing there.

A young boy suffered injuries when he was knocked down while crossing the road in the vicinity of the roundabout and emergency services attended the scene. His injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

The accident comes just weeks after the dangers facing students crossing the old Kells Road had been highlighted at a meeting of Navan Municipal Council.

A local mother who witnessed the accident said that schoolchildren are crossing there regularly and it is lethal.

"I drive in that way every day and I always let the boys crossing over to St Pat's cross the road, but I get blown out of it by the traffic behind me.

"It is so upsetting to see a child lying injured on the ground. That area is so busy, it is treacherous for anyone trying to cross," she said.

Cllr Tommy Reilly was very upset to hear of the accident, as he had warned of the dangers at a recent Municipal Council meeting.

He had proposed at the July meeting that the council install a pedestrian crossing at Abbeylands South near the Kells Road roundabout to facilitate students of St Patrick’s Classical School. “Parents have contacted me about this, because it is very serious there,” he said. “We have young people coming from the school and coming into town from north Navan trying to cross the road and it is very dangerous. “When are we going to have a pedestrian crossing there? It is very busy with both cars and pedestrians,” he said. He was told that pedestrian crossing facilities would be considered at that location, as part of the provision of the new distributor road from Windtown, which will meeting the Kells road in that location. That project is currently at the detailed design stage. It will include a new bridge over the Blackwater and is expected to go to tender next year. The distributor road, which is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in north Navan will encroach on Blackwater Park, shaving two hectares off the edge of the amenity and will continue through the site of the former Agriculture Department offices to the existing roundabout on the Kells Road.