Long campaigned for works to improve safety at the dangerous Bective Cross junction are continuing and will be completed in six to eight weeks, according Meath County Council.

The junction at Crocketts Pub has been the scene of many collisions over the years as well as regular near misses prompting local residents to appeal for safety works several times over the past decade.

In one frightening incident four years ago, CCTV footage from Crocketts captured the moment a vehicle ploughed through the gates of the pub yard following a collision with a van on the junction, causing three men that were in the yard to jump out of its way.

Declan Smyth, son of publican David, was directly in front of the gate and had to jump out of the way of the vehicle as it smashed through the gates at the side of the pub. His father and another local man were also working in the yard, and also narrowly avoided being struck by the vehicle.

Speaking at the time Declan Smyth said there had been many crashes over the years and that almost daily, people drive straight through the crossroads but this was the more serious incident, as he called on Meath County Council to “do something for once and for all”.

Six months ago, the Meath Chronicle again highlighted the dangerous junction following another collision and publican David Smith again told how there were near misses every day pointing out that people who aren't familiar with the road, don't know which road has priority and that the stop sign was covered by brambles.

Before Christmas works began to address the dangerous situation by staggering the junction and these works are ongoing.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said: “The works at Bective Cross entail the provision of a staggered junction to remove the ‘see-through’ effect on the L2201/L2203 legs of the junction.

“The remaining works re-commenced on site last week with the duration of the works expected to take six to eight weeks. Remaining works to be carried out are road construction, kerbing, drainage and signage.”