Cllrs raise issue of 'huge problem' of traffic congestion in Navan

Serious traffic congestion on Trimgate St and Watergate St in Navan to the lights at Poolboy bridge was highlighted at a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week.

Cllr Tommy Reilly said that congestion was a “huge problem”. "Something needs to be done urgently. The traffic builds up and there are huge delays," he said.

The Mayor Cllr Eddie Fennessy asked for a review of the traffic movement in the area since the implementation of the new traffic plans.

Cllr Reilly asked what plans the council had to alleviate the traffic congestion from Trimgate St to Poolboy Bridge

He was told the council's Transportation Department proposed to monitor the traffic flow on that stretch and investigate possible interventions to the traffic signals to make the junction more efficient for southbound bus traffic coming from Kennedy Plaza.

In addition, the yellow box at Watergate St will be repainted/marked in an effort to reduce instances of obstructions on Watergate St arising from traffic exiting from Abbey Road. The Council intends to bring forward a scheme to pedestrianise Trimgate Street which, if adopted, will reduce traffic flow between Trimgate Street and the R147/Poolboy Bridge junction.

Meanwhile Cllr Francis Deane proposed that as a gesture of goodwill following the introduction of the new traffic plan that the council would introduce a paint scheme (similar to that which existed in previous years) for owners of businesses in the heart of Navan Town.

"The new traffic plan in the town is proving difficult for those consumers and business people who must make adjustments," he said.

He was told that while there is no scheme in place currently, the Economic Development team is considering putting together a shop frontage improvement scheme for a couple of locations around the county. The exact details are yet to be finalised, but in relation to Navan, consideration will be given to opening up for applications per street/area, once the ongoing works as part of Navan 2030 are completed in each area.

The ED team will then work with the Conservation Officer and the businesses to ensure that there is a consistent approach to colours used, and that work carried out by all businesses complements those around them.

Meanwhile, the council has said they will be continuing to work with the National Transport Authority, and other stakeholders such as Bus Éireann and Local Link, in an effort to further improve Navan's public transport offering.

Last month, Meath Co Council commissioned a user sentiment survey of bus users at the new interchange at Kennedy Plaza, which included 58 persons being surveyed.

They found that there was over 98 per cent satisfaction among bus users with the new interchange facility. 95 per cent were satisfied with the safety of the facility, 94 per cent were satisfied with the atmosphere and surrounding of the facility, and 86 per cent were satisfied with landscaping of the new facility.

Bus Éireann stated that the road changes have assisted bus drivers to keep to their timetables:

“Since the implementation, we have seen improvements in traffic flows around Navan town, allowing for greater reliability in our journey times.”