Council to close Slane Bridge for structural investigation

As the controversy over the proposed Slane bypass continues to rage, Meath County Council is preparing to close Slane bridge next Monday night and Tuesday morning for a structural investigation. The temporary road closure will alow the council assess the condition of the bridge and what repair works are necessary on the structure, which has been damaged over the years by traffic accidents and fallen trees in the river hitting it. The bridge, which has been the scene of many fatal accidents over the years, will be closed from 9pm next Monday night to 6am on Tuesday morning. Northbound traffic will be diverted from the N2 through Kentstown and Navan, onto the Navan-Slane road and southbound traffic will be diverted along the same route. The investigation comes in response to visible damage to the arches of the bridge believed to have been caused by fallen trees being swept along in the current and striking the bridge over the years. The eastern wall of the bridge has also been repeatedly damaged over the years by traffic accidents. Meanwhile, as Meath County Council continues to prepare its response to An Bord Pleanala to a further information request on routes to the west of the village, the owner of Slane Castle, Henry Mountcharles, said the western route identified runs in close proximity to the rear of the castle, cuts right through the heart of the estate and an area of special conservation near a national monument. "It is ludicrous in the extreme. This route is twice the length of the submitted route and is vastly more expensive and would completely obliterate a hostel and farmhouse," he said. The western route was not included in the environmental impact study prepared for the current application and had been discounted by Meath County Council several years ago as a result of feasibility studies. Lord Mountcharles said that because the western route had not been included in the planning application or EIS, he had not made a submission on the issue to An Bord Pleanala. The deadline had passed and he was now denied the right to make a submission. His son, Alex Mountcharles, had made a submission, but only on the proposal before the planning board. Cllr Wayne Harding said there was no viable route to the west and the people of Slane had waited long enough. "The selection process has gone on for the past 10 years," he said. Meanwhile, the Save Newgrange campaign is calling on the Meath County Manager, Tom Dowling, to immediately implement a ban on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in Slane. They point out that over 1,200 HGVs a day pass through Slane, destroying the fabric of the village, and posing a serious threat to local residents. "The HGV ban in Slane should be implemented immediately, in the interests of public safety, now that a final bypass decision has been delayed," said Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange. "An Bord Pleanala may reject the Slane Bypass proposal outright, as it passes through a candidate Area of Special Convervation (SAC), which runs both east and west of Slane, along the Boyne. A final decision on the bypass could be years away, and public safety of local residents must take priority," he said. Mr Salafia claimed there was no logical reason for the council's refusal to implement the ban, other than to "unfairly pressurise the planning authorities" into approving the bypass.