Julianstown traffic consultation extended following strong public response

Meath County Council has extended the public consultation on the proposed Julianstown Traffic Relief Scheme until 31st August, following significant public interest in the project.

The extension comes after around 250 residents, business owners and landowners attended a second public information meeting organised by the Yes to Julianstown Traffic Relief, No to Another Bypass campaign at the CityNorth Hotel.

The campaign says it supports meaningful traffic relief for the village but believes the current consultation process has failed to properly assess or publicly explain alternative solutions before presenting four bypass corridor options.

Campaign spokesperson Emma Haran said the group was not opposed to tackling congestion but wanted a transparent, evidence-led process.

"This is not a campaign against traffic relief – it is a campaign for better decision-making," she said.

"Residents deserve to understand why options such as direct M1 access and M1 toll reform were discounted before a bypass became the focus of the current consultation."

The campaign is calling on Meath County Council to publish the evidence and appraisal underpinning the current scheme, explain why alternative proposals were discounted and ensure all reasonable options are assessed before a preferred solution is selected.

Campaign representatives also renewed calls for traffic calming measures approved by An Coimisiún Pleanála in 2021 to be implemented and for the current traffic relief scheme to be paused until greater transparency is provided.

Meanwhile, local Fianna Fáil councillor Stephen McKee has called on the local authority to begin a fresh public consultation on potential solutions to Julianstown's long-standing traffic problems.

He said it was clear that many residents had "no confidence" in the current process after attending recent public meetings.

Cllr McKee said more than 22,000 vehicles pass through Julianstown each day and argued that the council should re-examine options including the proposed Bryanstown Link Road and a new link road to the M1 near Kilsharvan.

"We need to fully understand why this is the case, how much of an issue toll avoidance is and whether improving public transport infrastructure in East Meath... can form part of an overall suite of measures to reduce heavy traffic in the area," he said.

The consultation on the Julianstown Traffic Relief Scheme will now remain open until 31st August, with members of the public invited to make submissions to Meath County Council.

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Meath County Counciil has been contacted for comment