Trim roadworks programme for 2026 outlined

Details of Meath County Council's roadworks programme for 2026 for the Trim Municipal District Area were outlined to councillors at their February meeting last Friday.

While the Department of Transport's Grant figure for 2026 had not yet been confirmed at that point, the council outlined that it been working off last year's figure while preparing roadworks programme.

Restoration improvement grants include the R156 Summerhill Road at Doolystown €280,000; R148 Enfield Roundabout at Johnstown €86,000; High Street, Trim, €125,000; R159 Glebe, Rathmolyon, €155,000; L6214 Agher Summerhill €245,000; L4012 Rathcormick, €115,000; L4021 Bellewtown, €251,448; L6213 Drumlargan, €225,000;L6204 Collegeland €315,000; L80242 Colehill, Meath, €115,000; L8019 Croboy, €280,000 and L4016 Kilmur, €245,000.

Restoration improvement grants for local tertiary roads to come from the council's own resources include L62252 Cullentry, €205,000; L80312 Freagh, €125,000; L80322 Castlerickard, €125,000; L80123 Coolronan, €250,000; Cill Bhríde €90,000.

A budget of €630,768 was estimated for surfacing dressing includes the L40022 Kilbride; L4002 Moymet; L4001-12 Kildalkey; L80124 at Woodtown and Coolronan, R156 Robinstown; R161 Friarspark; L6211-35 Gallow; L80242 Castlejordan; L8022 New Park; L4016 Kilmur and L80141 Castletown.

This year there is a centralised budget of €300,000 for safety works and €100,000 for traffic calming in each district. Projects earmarked include €30,000 for Ballivor to improve visibility at the pedestrian crossing, install bollards to prevent parking on approach and review of signage; funding of €30,000 for Summerhill Village for speed and traffic date collection and mobile speed deterrent device, and a review of parking; €20,000 for speed and traffic date collection and mobile speed deterrent device at Rathmolyon and another €20,000 for same at Enfield.

A controlled pedestrian crossing and footpath improvements are proposed for Haggard Street at a cost of €80,000.

Footpath works are proposed for St John's, Cluain Ri, Lackanash and Elder Grove with a total allocation of €225,000. A footpath linking Kilbride NS with the lcoal church has been included but no sum has yet been included as it has yet to be costed.

New bus stops are proposed for Clonard, Kildalkey, Longwood and Summerhill and clarity was sought on whether this was just for a bus stop of if shelters would also be included. Bridge Rehabilitation works are proposed for Scariff Bridge which are at design stage this year.

Separately, National Transport Authority Funding of €550,000 has been granted for the Newtown Active Travel Scheme. There are 681km of public roads in Trim with a total of €3.1m spent on roads in the district last year, councillors heard.

Cllr Joe Fox commented that roads are never ending battle for the council and that roads in the last month had really taken a “hammering” because of the weather. He complimented the council on the quality of the work that had been undertaken in recent years saying they were standing up well and while they won’t get to do every road they want done, they were making excellent progress.

“I know they are always whinging in North Meath but the volume of traffic in south Meath is unreal. At the main council meeting you have to listen to a litany of giving out and moaning about roads in North Meath.” He said he knew they have poor roads in North Meath but volume of traffic in those villages was nothing compared to the volume in the likes of villages like Summerhill.