Meath County Council have published plans for the Pathfinder R161 Navan to Trim Cycle Scheme

Plans and drawings for the non-statutory public consultation for the active travel Pathfinder – R161 Navan to Trim Cycle Scheme, are now available to view and open for submissions. The highly anticipated Pathfinder scheme, which we first covered here in late 2020, will see a rapid deployment of 11kms of rural cycleway between the towns of Navan and Trim.

The scheme aims to improve connectivity between Navan and Trim for pedestrians and cyclists and to encourage active travel as a mode of transport, as well as improve safety for all road users. There are several busy junctions and points of interest along the route such as the MDL football grounds, Dunganny GAA pitches, Connell’s Cross and Bective Abbey.

At the Navan end, the scheme begins at the Balreask cross roads, where it will join up with future plans for the junction (called the NA7 Trim Road Scheme – Balreask Manor to Balreask Cross Roads). The scheme proposes 9kms of segregated, two-way cycle track and 2kms of shared facilities on the western side of the R161 road (for the most part).

Key Points

• This is not your standard scheme. It is a new “Pathfinder” rapid build project, using Section 38 planning process, which can be delivered in a much shorter time frame
• Unclear if this is a replacement for the Boyne Greenway, from Navan to Trim. It has been suggested that there will be a further, similar scheme going from Trim to the Royal Canal Greenway (via Summerhill and Kilcock). The original Boyne Greenway plans follow the river course from Navan to Trim, and on to Longwood.
• The scheme will connect to numerous sports grounds on the route: MDL football grounds, Dunganny GAA pitches, Navan Town Cosmos FC, and Navan O’Mahonys second ground.
• Cyclists don’t have priority at a number of small side roads. There are 8 minor junctions along the route where cyclists do not have priority and would be required to stop. These are minor roads with a low volume of traffic (e.g. the Robinstown Road L40071 or the Bective Road before Connells Cross), and we believe that cyclists should have priority at these junctions in order to improve thcontinuity on the scheme.
• Encourage active travel and create a sustainable link between Navan and Trim. It will also link up with planned cycling facilities at the Navan end, creating a link all the way to the town centre.
• Pinch-points along the route. As can be expected on such a long route, there are sections where the road narrows significantly (e.g. the M3 overpass). The cycle lane is two-way, yet the drawings indicate a one-way 1.5m cycle track at certain points, which is insufficient width for two-way cycling (3m width minimum). A variation from standard but space is limited.

The scheme is now open for public consultation until 5pm on Friday 27th September 2024. According to the timeline outlined in the brochure, after the public consultation and detailed design is complete, construction will commence in Winter 2024. Pathfinder schemes such as this, when first announced, were all outlined to be complete by the end of 2025.

To find out more and to make a submission please visit consult.meath.ie