Plans for works to accommodate Christmas shopping traffic also in place

Upgrade works on Abbey Road and Bridge Street in Navan, as part of the significant public realm enhancement works being undertaken by Meath County Council, with the support of the National Transport Authority, are steadily advancing.

The Council and its Contractor are focused on reducing the impact of the works on seasonal traffic levels typically associated with the Christmas period. In line with Meath County Council’s ‘shop local’ initiatives, we have been looking at ways to continue working with a reduced level of disruption to Christmas shoppers following the anticipated re-opening of retail outlets in Navan, including;

• Traffic restrictions kept to a minimum during business/shopping hours
• Reinstatement of two-way traffic movements on Abbey Road by December
• Abbey Road roundabouts works will be substantially reduced in the month of December, with works restricted to those which are off the roadway
• Works at Bridge Street will ensure that traffic flow is maintained in all directions
• New cycle parking facilities are to be installed consisting of bike stands at various locations
• Meath County Council will be offering a discounted rate for on street and public car parks in the Townduring the month of December

Recent works include new watermains and storm water sewers that have been laid recently on Bridge Street, and new watermain upgrades on Abbey Road are also complete. New footpath paving has commenced on Abbey Road adjacent to Scoil Mhuire, and also on Bridge Street commencing at the Circular Road junction and working back towards Church Hill.

The upgrade of the roundabouts is predominantly concerned with pedestrian safety, given the high volume of school children using the existing pedestrian crossings and footfall accessing the town via this busy gateway location to the town centre. To increase pedestrian safety at the roundabouts, the traffic lanes on all arms of the roundabouts and the circulatory carriageways are to be narrowed to encourage reduced vehicle speeds and to create a ‘traffic-calmed’ environment. The narrow traffic lane on the circulatory carriageway on each of the roundabouts will be bounded on the inside by a concrete overrun area to facilitate larger vehicles i.e. buses and articulated lorries, by permitting them to traverse the overrun area to complete their movement around the roundabouts.

Zebra crossings (with belisha beacons) are to be provided at the crossing points on all arms to both roundabouts and will be constructed on raised tables. These raised tables will also reduce vehicle approach speeds and improve visibility of pedestrians to drivers approaching the crossing points. Footpaths are also being widened to provide greater space for pedestrian movement. This slower traffic environment will also create a safer environment for cyclists accessing the town.

What’s next:

New kerbing and footpaths are to be constructed at the Bridge Street/ Circular Road/Academy Street junction. This is to facilitate the installation of new wheelchair accessible signalised crossing points at the junction and, combined with widened footpaths at the junction, will provide a safer pedestrian environment. New granite kerbing and footpaths are to be constructed at the Church Hill/ Ludlow Street/ Bridge Street junction and a new widened footpath is to be constructed on the Old Infirmary side of Bridge Street.

New footpaths are to be constructed on the Credit Union side of Abbey Road between the two roundabouts, and along a section of Kennedy Road on the western side during the month of November. This will involve the construction of new concrete kerbing and base for the new widened footway. The one-way system currently in place will be maintained until the end of November.

In order to assist with anticipated increased traffic flow associated with the Christmas period, it is intended to remove the current traffic restrictions between the two roundabouts and to reinstate two-way traffic movements on Abbey Road and Kennedy Road for the month of December.Works are to commence on bus stops around Navan to facilitate the arrival of the new Navan Town bus services, the N1 and N2 routes, which will see a significant increase in the number of buses and will provide a more frequent service for the local community.

Meath County Council appreciates that even with our efforts there will still be some localised disruption and inconvenience, and we will be continuing to work with the Contractor to minimise these as far as practicable.