Bypass 'a matter of life and death', Slane group tells protesters

A warning shot has been fired across the bows of protesters against the proposed Slane bypass this week that delays to the project could result in even more loss of life. John Ryle of the Slane Bridge Action Committee asked if environmental and heritage protesters would be able to live with themselves if there was another tragedy in the village if the project was delayed. "The primary reason for the bypass is to end the carnage in Slane. It is a matter of life and death," he said. Following more than 22 road deaths in the village and decades of campaigning by the people of Slane, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has put plans for the new Slane bypass on display. The proposal is to build the road 500 metres from the end of the 'buffer zone' around the World Heritage Site at Newgrange. While the plan has been welcomed locally and received a tentative welcome from An Taisce, a campaign against the route has already begun and a Facebook group called 'Save Newgrange,' which opened on Saturday, already has 2,200 members. They are drawing up a petition against the proposed route which will be forwarded to the Meath County Manager and the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley. The bridge and the road through Slane is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Ireland. Villagers estimate that 200 HGVs an hour drive through Slane during rush hour and statistics compiled by the NRA estimate 6,400 vehicles a day pass through the village. At least 22 people have lost their lives along a 1.5km stretch of the N2 through Slane and at Slane Bridge. These included two year-old local boy, David Garvey, who died when the car in which he was travelling was crushed under the wheels of a heavy goods lorry as it waited at the traffic lights on the hill approaching the bridge. Last March, a nine-vehicle collision in the centre of the village left four people injured. Gardai claimed it was a miracle nobody had been killed in the accident which involved several families returning from the school run. At least six cars were written off and two lorries badly damaged. John Ryle, who lives close to Slane Bridge, said he had seen some horrific sights over the years. "I remember the late Fr Dooley being paddled out in an inflatable dinghy to give the last rites to a truck driver who lay dying in his truck in the Boyne," he said. In the 1980s, a busload of schoolchildren had a miraculous escape when their bus crashed through the bridge wall and dangled precariously over the river and the tragic death of a truck driver whose vehicle plunged into the Boyne the same decade was compounded by the death a short while later of the crane driver who was attempting to remove the truck from the river when his crane toppled over. Following the death of little David Garvey in 2001, new traffic-calming measures, which included a holding area for trucks descending down to the medieval bridge from the village, were put in place. However, John Ryle says there have still been numerous accident at the bridge and in the village in the years since. Meanwhile, Vincent Salafia of the Save Newgrange campaign said his group included a number of celebrities, archaeologists, journalists and concerned citizens from Ireland and around the world. Mr Salafia was also prominent in the recent campaign to re-route the M3 motorway away from the Hill of Tara. "A petition addressed to the Meath County Manager, Tom Dowling, Minister for the Environment, John Gormley and UNESCO is being drafted, and will be published shortly," he said. He said he was writing to Bypass Slane Campaign in order to seek a co-operative working relationship and find common ground. Colm Mac Naillais, an archaeology student from UCD, who is an administrator of the group, said they were delighted with the massive response they were getting from people who were very concerned about the lack of consultation that has taken place, before the CPO process began, despite the fact that no planning permission has been granted. "While protecting Bru na Boinne and Newgrange is our primary objective, and right, we believe it is in everyone's interest that the proper consultation procedures are followed before planning permission is granted," he said. Slane councillor Wayne Harding said the proposed road is not a motorway but a 3.5km section of road bypassing the heritage village of Slane. He said it was outside the buffer zone that protected the monuments inside the World Heritage site. He said 22 people had lost their lives on Slane Bridge and, last year, a truck lost control "and literally played skittles with cars who were full of mothers bringing their children to school". He went on: "The enviromental impact statement on the project is a massive document and is currently on display. I would ask people to look at it before joining Facebook groups or websites that are opposed to Slane getting its bypass," he said. Deputy Thomas Byrne said safety had to be put before anything and he urged people to read the environmental impact assessment. "Slane village is an architectural treasure that also needs to be protected," he said. The NRA's proposal is to build the bypass downriver from the present bridge and to the east of the village. The proposed bypass will be 500m away from the buffer zone around the World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne, which comprises the ancient megalithic tombs at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The environmental impact statement for the project acknowledges that 44 archaeological sites will be within 500m of the roadway and that the potential to uncover much more during work is high.