Slowing it Down: Dangers at Alzheimers Society and IWA campus highlighted

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.

NAVAN'S STORY

The dangers for traffic emerging from the Irish Wheelchair Association /Alzheimers Society campus at Newgate on the Kells road in Navan was highlighted amid disappointment that there are no plans to provide public lighting in the area.

At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council, Cllr Eddie Fennessy called on the executive to carry out a survey of the stretch of road at Newgate, with a view installing street lighting to make it safer for motorists exiting and entering the IWA and Alzheimer’s centres and the local businesses that are based there.”

He was told it was unlikely to be added to the captial programme.

Graham Acton of the Irish Wheelchair association expressed disappointment. "The exit and entrance ot the campus is extremely dangerous. It is used by ourselves, the Alzheimers Society and the Scouts. It is used by people of all ages and abilities. You have big buses driving in and out of the campus and driving out onto the dark road. You have family members arriving to collect people. It is a very busy spot."

Cllr Fennessy said the Newgate junction is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the Navan Municipal District.

"Either side of the junction has a straight stretch of road that drivers tend to build up speed when approaching. The area doesn't have a safe pedestrian crossing point. And trying to gain vehicular access to the R147 from adjacent premises and houses is extremely dangerous, particularly during dark winter evenings and at night.

"At less than 2km from Navan, linking it with the town through the provision of a footpath with cycle track and street lighting makes complete sense for a number of reasons.

"The most important of which is community safety, but also in terms of the public transport opportunities that could be developed to serve the area too."

At last week's meeting, Clr Fennessy was told a road safety scheme was completed at this location in recent years to improve the junction and surrounding approaches and public lighting was not provided as part of that scheme and road safety audits did not call for public lighting to be provided.

Officials pointed out that priority junctions on single carriageways should not be lit. The location in question is remote from public lighting in the town of Navan and does not have path connectivity back to town and would be considered rural. Therefore it is unlikely that this project will be added to the capital programme."