Three more years of works lie ahead for Navan’s streetscapes

Traffic flow on Navan's Ludlow Street and Bridge Street is set to be reversed in October as the Navan 2030 works continue around the town.

At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week, councillors also heard the pedestrianisation of Trimgate Street is likely to be complete by 2026.

Councillors were given an overview of the work carried out as part of the Navan 2030 scheme and the works still to come at last week's meeting.

They heard that from October, traffic will travel from Circular Road to Market Square along Bridge Street and Ludlow Street with buses and taxis then permitted to turn into Market Square and Kennedy Road while all other traffic will have to continue down Watergate Street,

The 'Part Eight' planning process of the pedestrianisation of Trimgate Street will being this year with work expected to begin in 2025 and to be complete by 2026.

Council engineer, Nicholas Whyatt gave an overview of the 2030 works, pointing out that work on Bridge Street and Ludlow Street was already complete.

"Buses will be able to continue on from Ludlow Street turning left onto Market Square and will be in communication with traffic lights on the square," he said.

He explained that the completion of the work on the Kennedy Place bus interchange will facilitate the change.

"The first 2030 contract was Railway Street. This saw the widening of footpaths and the change to a two way system."

Councillors heard that Old Cornmarket will not reopen to through traffic and the next contract will see work on Bakery Lane, Preston Place, Church Hill and the Fairgreen. "Construction on that will begin next year," Mr Whyatt said.

Explaining that work on Trimgate Street is expected to begin in 2025 and finish the following year, he said there will be another three years of work on Navan 2030.

The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Eddie Fennessy said the centre of town is taking great shape with most of the difficult sections completed and an imminent reopening of Kennedy Place on the horizon.

"The scheme has been about much more than the upgrading of physical infrastructure. Changing how we move around the town has also been a key objective of the council. And to their credit, Navan is fast becoming a regional leader in providing connectivity and sustainable transport options.

"We have a top class public transport network. And when the remaining sections of the 2030 scheme have been completed, the final pieces of the cycle network jigsaw will be in place to connect residential areas with the centre of town.

"Two greenways are also being developed. Proposals to restore and reopen the Navan to Drogheda canal is under active consideration. And we will soon have a local bike rental scheme in place.

"There’s a lot happening in Navan and I consider myself fortunate to be an elected representative during a time of huge investment in the town," he said.

Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said it was a fantastic overall programme. "We are blessed to have it. We can see the benefits of the areas that have been finished. Navan is a narrow town and there will always be pinch points.

He said they had lost three disabled parking paces in the town. "I would prefer if we are losing parking spaces, that they are able bodied spaces rather than disabled spaces."

Cllr Fitzsimons said the traders in Trimgate Street, were not in favour of pedestrianisation and he supported them.

Cllr Tommy Reilly said welcomed the proposed pedestrianisation of Trimgate Street.

"Abbey Road and Kennedy Road look fantastic."