VIDEO: Kentstown Rd bridge re-opens after summer closure

Gavan Becton

Published: Fri 31 Aug 2018, 6:11 PM

Last updated: Fri 31 Aug 2018, 7:24 PM

The Kentstown Road Bridge in Navan has re-opened to traffic after two months to facilitate work on the new four-metre wide pedestrian and cyclepath to the side of the existing structure.

Construction workers installing the massive steel frames of the new cantilever bridge worked tirelessly to complete the major part of the project as darkness fell this evening.

The opening of the major traffic artery to the town will bring much needed relief to motorists in the town after the schools re-opened and traffic volumes have increased.

Localised temporary traffic management measures will be necessary on the Kentstown Road and the R147 as the new addition to the bridge has yet to be completed.

_{Works on the bridge during August: Pic: Seamus Farrelly}

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said "It is currently anticipated that the bridge and related works will be completed in December of this year and will be in place for decades to come.
"During the summer holiday period, piles and pile caps were constructed at the bridge, and the primary steel members installed. Footpath works were also completed on the Kentstown Road. In addition, the new road surface and line marking will also completed on the Kentstown Road," she said.

The cantilevered bridge will be like a boardwalk spanning over the River Boyne. A new shared cyclist/pedestrian surface will be provided on the Kentstown Road to link the new bridge to the junction of Convent Lane, with upgraded public lighting throughout. New footpaths and a raised table pedestrian crossing at the junction of the Convent Lane and Kentstown Road are also to be constructed. The junction of the R147/R153/Timmons Hill will include pedestrian crossings on each arm to facilitate safe crossings at this busy intersection.