Summer start for new link road that aims to relieve traffic volumes in north Navan

Work is expected to begin this summer on the new road linking the Ratholdren and Kells Roads in Navan, bringing welcome relief to the traffic congestion in north Navan.

Hedge clearing is already underway along the route from the Clonmagadden Road to the Kells Road,with the construction works currently expected to commence in the summer of 2023.

Work on the road, which will be known as LDR4 is expected to take 18 months.

The route will encroach on Blackwater Park, shaving two hectares off the edge of the amenity and will continue through the site of the old OPW building and emerge at the existing roundabout on the Kells Road.

At the moment, the only route into Navan from the north of the town is via the inner relief road, linking the Round O with the fire station.

Cllr Emer Toibin said it will have a major impact on traffic congestion.

"At peak times, congestion is full on and it is also very busy outside of peak times. The Ratholdron Road intersects with another very congested route, coming from the Round O junction with the Slane and Proudstown roads.

"The new link road should go some way to relieving the very significant traffic delays in north Navan.

"The rapid expansion of Navan over the past thirty years places huge pressure on our roads. North Navan has been particularly hard hit with congestion problems. The bridge will make life somewhat easier for local residents.

"It will make a huge difference to traffic throughout the town too. In order to go from one distributor road to another at the moment, you have to go into the centre, there aren't enough connections of the arteries going into Navan," she said.

The proposed scheme, which includes a bridge over the Blackwater will be 1.15km in length, consisting of two 3.25m wide lanes, 2m wide raised one-way cycle track on both sides and 2.5m wide footpaths on both sides.

The proposed alignment commences to the north with a proposed four-arm signalised junction on the L3409 Ratholdron Road replacing the existing Clonmagadden Road T-junction.

The alignment runs south across a small area of woodland and agricultural land. It then turns south east and follows broadly the western boundary of Blackwater Park.

From here, the alignment runs south and across the River Blackwater almost perpendicularly. The alignment continues southbound to the east of the residential properties at Blackwater Park.

It is expected that the road will open in Autumn 2024.