A new road and a new direction for Navan, but will we still face the same old problems?

While much colourful coverage and comment has been passed on the ongoing Navan 2030 Streetscape Scheme works, motorists and road users' attention has been turning to developments on the outskirts of the town and, in particular, the construction of the new functionally named LDR4 link road that will cross the River Blackwater linking Rathaldren Road to the Navan-Kells road.

The new route is expected to be a gamechanger for traffic in Navan, where at the moment, the only route into Navan from the north of the town is down to the inner relief road via the Round O/Abbeylands junctions.

The new 1.15km stretch of roadway aims to slash travel times for traffic coming into Navan from the northside of the town and reduce the snarl-ups that currently blight the Abbeylands and Fire Station junctions.

The new road shaves two hectares off the edge of the Blackwater Park lands and continues through the site of the now demolished OPW building and emerges at the existing roundabout on the Navan-Kells Road. The bridge section of the road was lowered into place in October.

The scheme consists of two 3.25m wide lanes, 2m wide raised one-way cycle track on both sides and 2.5m wide footpaths on both sides while the new link will also give the public pedestrian access to Blackwater Park from the west side of the town.

The works are being carried out by John Craddock, the same contractor responsible for the Navan 2030 works in the town centre.

So what's involved and will it be the answer to Navan’s traffic nightmares? There has already been some disquiet about the new route and the impact it may have on this side of the Blackwater. The Chronicle put some questions to Meath Co Council about the project.

Firstly, how long will the works take to complete?

Works began on the new road and bridge during the summer of 2024 and are expected to take 18 months. The council says the scheme is “currently expected to be completed by Q4 of 2025.”

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What will happen on the Rathaldren Road side? “At the new four way junction on the Rathaldren Road side there will be works to improve/widen the approaches to the junction to better cater for pedestrians,” said a council spokesperson. “Works in this area as part of LDR4 works include for a widened shared surface for pedestrians and cyclists and Toucan crossings as part of the new signalised junction, to help link the Blackwater public park to the Boyne Valley to Lakelands County Greenway.

At the other end of the new connection we asked what would become of the roundabout at Navan/Kells Road? The council told us the LDR4 scheme “includes replacing the existing roundabout on the N51/R147 with a new signalised junction”.

That raised concerns about congestion building from the LDR4 up past the St Pat's Classical School entrance, the new park and ride facility, the new Moatlands traffic lights and on towards Andy Connolly roundabout?

However the council stated that the signalised junction at Moatlands is outside of the works area for the LDR4 scheme.

Are there concerns about the already large volumes of traffic in that area (St Pat's / Park and Ride / Bailey Hill estate etc), we asked the council, who responded that the LDR4 scheme “should not be viewed in isolation.”

“In Ireland it is widely recognised there is an over reliance on the private car for journeys, particularly short trips, that could be made by other modes of transport.

“Government policy over the last 15 years has increasingly focused on promoting sustainable forms of transport to reduce car dependency. The Meath County Development Plan contains the target to reduce trips to work and school by car in Navan from 66 per cent in 2016 to 55 per cent by 2026, and the policies and objectives to help achieve this.

“LDR4 is only one element of the overall transport plan for Navan and it should not be viewed in isolation. In recent years the town has seen significant investment in local and regional bus services and pedestrian improvements in the town centre.

“The next five years will see further investment in transport networks in the town including for example, the introduction of segregated cycle facilities along the R147 linking with the main arteries into and out of town. Other distributor roads are also planned for the town and the extension of the rail line from M3 Parkway to Navan has the potential to fundamentally change how people commute to and from Navan.

“These measures will collectively help cater for how people move in, through and around Navan so that it can grow in accordance with its designation in the settlement hierarchy, underpinned with a sustainable model for movement.”