New bridge length sparks heated exchanges on hearing's final day

A row erupted over the length of the new Slane bridge on the final day of the planning hearing into the proposed N2 Slane bypass last week when Meath County Council produced a new drawing which extends the bridge from 200 metres to 216 metres. The hearing was part of An Bord Pleanala's examination of plans by the county council to construct a 3.5km bypass to the east of the village, including a new bridge over the Boyne. The council and local residents say the bypass is needed to improve safety in Slane, where 22 people have died in road crashes over the years, while opponents claim the project - especially the bridge - would spoil views into and out of the Brú na Bóinne site which includes Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth and so put the area's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at risk. Consultant design engineer Seamus Mac Gearailt said the change in bridge length was "only minor" but would ensure that the council's ability to deliver on the environmental protection and mitigation measures in the vicinity of the bridge, as outlined in the environmental impact statement (EIS) accompanying the planning application. Mr Mac Gearailt explained that the drawing had been revised when some inaccuracies relating to the original drawing for the bridge had been brought to his attention during the hearing. He said it had become apparent that the pier on the northern bank would have to be moved back six metres to allow for a 10 metre-wide exclusion zone to protect the ecology along the riverbank and then moved further back to provide for a pathway to an attenuation pond and to provide symmetry between the abutments or concrete supports at either end of the bridge. "The totality of these changes mean the overall length of the bridge has changed slightly from 200m to 216m," he said. Barrister Colm MacEochaidh, for former Attorney General and local landowner John Rogers, who is opposed to the development, claimed the drawing was, in effect, a design for a new bridge and not the one at the centre of the hearing. "I know it's 1st April - I'm just wondering is there a camera here somewhere and am I on 'Candid Camera'. This is astonishing. On the last day of the hearing, Mr Mac Gearailt produces a new drawing of the most controversial aspect of this development. We now have a new bridge design," he said. Mr Mac Gearailt denied that it was a new design, adding that the extension would deliver environmental benefit and would not have any extra visual impact. He also revealed it was now proposed to construct a bailey bridge over the canal and tow path on the southern side of the river to provide access to the site during the construction phase in order to protect the canal and towpath. Mr Mac Gearailt rejected criticism from John Rogers over the extent and validity of data in the EIS relating to the amount and location of karstified limestone which contains internal water channels in the vicinity of the proposed bridge piers, saying the issue would not be a problem as piles would be driven down until they reached solid rock as had been done for the M1 Boyne Bridge near Drogheda.The piers of the new bridge will rest on large concrete bases over these piles. Making his final submission, Mr Rogers said he had come to the hearing feeling the proposal for the bypass and bridge was flawed and was now confirmed in that view. He said it was quite clear an eastern bypass would not solve the traffic problems in Slane and would worsen those on the N51 Drogheda-Navan road, while a western bypass - coupled with a north-eastern link from that bypass to the N51 - would be the best solution. He claimed the current proposal was flawed as not enough consideration had been given to a possible bypass to the west of the village. "From the outset, Meath County Council and/or the NRA (National Roads Authority) or official Ireland chose to drive a four-lane highway through Brú na Bóinne rather than Slane Castle Demesne," he said. Mr Rogers further claimed the proposal did not deliver value for money and would put Brú na Bóinne's status as a World Heritage Site at risk.