Slowing it Down: Batterstown wants proper traffic calming scheme
Ann Casey and Noelle Finegan spoke to people in communities across Meath and their local public representatives who have raised serious concerns about speed and traffic volumes in their villages and towns.
BATTERSTOWN'S STORY
As work took place last week on the installation of a new speed ramp at Batterstown village, there was disappointment that the originally planned traffic calming scheme for the village has not been implemented.
Work on the installation of the ramp took place last week, as part of the Roadworks Programme. Cllr Caroline O'Reilly said that the ramp is an interim safety measure.
"I will continue working to ensure funding is allocated for the full project," she said.
Residents of Batterstown who are fed up of speeding traffic and heavily laden trucks hurtling through the village have called for planned traffic calming measures to be carried out as soon as possible.
They are warning that there could be a tragic accident on this extremely dangerous stretch of road if safety measures aren't implemented. A proposal for traffic calming measures was approved back in 2023 with a total of €1.5m being allocated to the project.
One local resident spoke of her fears for the safety of her children who attend Rathregan National School.
“Every single morning and afternoon we watch truck after truck hurtling past. The drivers are avoiding the toll bridge and using the little villages to cut costs.
“What would happen if one of these drivers who are regularly speeding through the village lost control, had a heart attack, had a blow out or lost concentration due to the usage of their mobile phone while driving?"
Cllr Caroline O'Reilly said that while the new ramp is welcome, it is not ideal.
"It is just an interim measure. We need proper traffic calming measures. It is an extremely dangerous situation.
“I totally understand parents' fears while dropping their children to school. It makes school time stressful when it should be just a routine part of the day but the worry of an accident on a daily basis takes its toll. I have had many parents requesting updates and they are genuinely scared for the safety of their children.
“A huge amount of large HGV trucks are avoiding the toll fees and driving the back roads, via Batterstown and the Dunboyne/Summerhill Road which are scary to drive on.
“I can only imagine what its like seeing little children on this busy road with ramps that mean very little to these trucks. Some of the trucks are almost taking flight as they cross the ramps they are traveling so fast," Cllr Reilly stated.
"There isn't much to slow people down along this stretch. This is hugely dangerous , the traffic is flying both sides of the road and there are a lot of little children going to school in the village. It is very scary to try to pull out into traffic in the village because of the speed.
"We need traffic calming measures and we need more gardai on the road," she said.
A spokesperson for Meath County Council said the council continues to monitor traffic at Batterstown on a regular basis. "Despite grant funding being sought to progress works included in the Part 8 process for 2025, no funding is currently available to advance these works at present," he said.