‘It is by the grace of God that there haven’t been more fatalities’

Residents living in the vicinity of Balreask Cross and the Borallion road in Navan say something has to be urgently done to improve safety at the busy junction and they cannot wait for the proposed link road to be built.

They want a full review of the junction and say they cannot afford to wait for the planned link road that will divert traffic from the narrow Borallion road, currently used by many motorists as shortcut.

In the mornings and evenings, there are long tailbacks approaching Balreask Cross, particularly on the Borallion, as motorists wait for a break in the heavy traffic on the Trim-Navan Road so they can get across or turn. It means motorists are taking chances and locals say there have been a number of accidents at the junction in recent years.

Residents have been calling for safety measures at the junction for more than a decade and in January 2020 locals submitted a petition to the council but are still waiting for safety works to be carried out.

The letter accompanying the petition pointed out that it is an extremely busy junction and that the current road layout is not suitable for the levels of traffic using the junction and the situation had resulted in numerous traffic accidents.

It went on to state that they understood there may be long-term plans to divert traffic from the junction "but in the meantime, it is not acceptable that we have to daily take our life in our hands when using this junction."

Local resident Niall McKeigue who lives on the Borallion said the situation is getting progressively worse.

"It is so dangerous, it is only a matter of time before something bad happens there." He also said a lot of trucks are using the narrow road to avoid Navan. "People used to walk on that road but it is too dangerous now.

"The Trim Road is so busy and it is progressively getting worse. In the mornings from 8.30 on and in the evenings from 5pm to about 6.15 you have to wait to get out your gate and you could be 10-15 minutes waiting to get across the road."

Mr McKeigue said at busy times, the traffic is building up as far back as the bad bend on the Borallion and they fear someone will coming flying around the corner and hit someone. He said there are regular incidents where cars have to jam on brakes as they come around the corner.

"It is a narrow road that is not fit for the volume of traffic using it. It is getting worse every month. My father has pulled people out of cars several times," he said.

Enda Blaney, proprietor of The Balreask Bar and Restaurant said there have been a lot of accidents and near misses at the junction.

He told how last year a truck tumbled over and on another occasion a car ended up in their front garden "Lucky enough there was nobody in the vicinity. It is by the grace of God that there haven't been more fatalities.

"We have made representations over the years and we are told there is a new road coming across the Borallion that the council feel will take the volume of traffic off the road and that is where it stands at the minute. When that comes on stream, I don't know."

He said the speed of the traffic on the Trim-Navan Road is also a big issue and wants to see something done to slow down traffic. He pointed out that young people are walking out to the MDL grounds as well and there is no public lighting in the area.

"A lot of junctions where a secondary road is joining a main road, it can be difficult to get out but in areas where traffic moves slowly, it is happening without too much incident.

"Here, you have no choice but to tip out a bit on the road. With a lot of junctions, you will get away with that, but you are not getting anything like the traffic speed there is here.

"Even coming out of here is a bit of a lottery."

He says a full review of the junction and the roads approaching it are needed.

Local councillor Tommy Reilly who regularly uses the junction feels traffic lights may be the only answer.

"It's a death trap. People are taking chances when they are 15-20 minutes waiting in a queue. A lot from that area are coming to Cannistown School, it is crazy there in the mornings and evening times. A set of traffic lights is the only hope at the minute. The junction has to be reconfigured as well."

At present there is just one lane of traffic coming from the Borallion road, so traffic turning left has to wait for cars to turn right or go straight across before they can go. There is also a busy pre-school in the area and it can be difficult for parents dropping and collecting children to get across the road.

Cllr Reilly also thinks they need to look at making the Borallion a cul-de-sac once the new road opens and fears that people will still continue to use the road as a short cut even after the proposed new road comes on stream.

COUNCIL RESPONSE....

The long-term solution to traffic issues at Balreask junction and the Borallion is a proposed new road linking the Trim Road with the southern interchange of the M3, but this road is still likely to be several years away from completion.

In the meantime, Meath County Council has committed to carrying out low-cost safety measures in the area next year.

In response to residents' concerns, a spokesperson for Meath County Council stated that a low-cost safety measure scheme will be implemented in 2022 at the junction.

"Meath County Council's Road Safety Officer, working with transportation division, is currently designing this scheme with the intention to implement it in 2022," the spokesperson said.

It is understood that among the measures being considered are road markings, high visibility signage, public lighting and coloured surfacing on approaches to the junction, with the aim of slowing down traffic.

However, the long-term solution very much focuses on the new distributor road.

"In addition to the Low-Cost Safety Scheme at Balreask Junction, the long term completion of the Local Distributor Road network in this area is a priority. These networks improvements include the LDR 1b linking the Trim Road and the Dublin Road, and the LDR1a linking the Springfield Glen road to the Trim Road/LDR1b. This will take the volume of traffic away from the Borallion road and reduce pressure on the junction," the spokesperson said.