The construction of the long-awaited Slane Bypass in Co Meath has been dealt a blow with a judicial review now expected to be lodged against the project going ahead.
It comes after a planning application for the bypass was granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála earlier this summer.
The project would see the construction of a 3.5km long bypass around Slane village and includes a dual carriageway as well as a 258 metre-long bridge over the River Boyne.
The approved application also includes a plan to develop public spaces around the village.
However, in a brief statement, Meath County Council has confirmed that the project is now expected to face a legal challenge from a member of the public.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “Meath County Council has received confirmation that a member of the public intends to lodge a judicial review”.
Given the matter is currently ongoing, it is understood that the council will not be providing any further details regarding the nature of the judicial review for the time being.
Slane is located at the crossroads of two major arteries for traffic – the N2 which links Dublin to Derry and the N51 which links Delvin, Co Westmeath to Drogheda, Co Louth via Navan.
It was previously estimated that around 17,000 vehicles travel through the village every day via the N2 and N51.
Multiple calls to develop a bypass to address road safety concerns have been made over the past decades.
In December 2023, local residents erected 23 crosses on the wall of Slane Bridge to commemorate the 23 lives that had been lost on the stretch of road, which has a particularly steep gradient.
The latest setback for the project comes after a previous planning application for the bypass was refused permission.
In 2012, An Bord Pleanála rejected plans for a bypass saying it was within the viewshed of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Brú na Bóinne complex, which includes the Neolithic passage tomb, Newgrange.
Meath County Council said that the previous reasons for planning being refused had been taken into account by the project team in its most recent application as had changes to design standards, government policies and environmental legislation.
