On this page you will find information on all planned cycling infrastructure and road schemes with provision for cycling in Navan and surrounding areas.
All plans are based on official published documentation ranging from initial planning, notices, proposals or confirmed routes, outlined below.
Navan 2030
At present, work is underway on Navan 2030, an integrated public realm and movement plan for Navan Town Centre. It aims to rejuvenate the heart of the town and deliver a revitalised and accessible town centre, making Navan a better place to live, work and visit. The project is funded Meath County Council and the National Transport Authority. Navan 2030 states that one of its key priorities is to ‘strengthen walking and cycling facilities, and ‘reallocate road space to create more pedestrian and cycle friendly uses’.
However, there are no specific plans mentioned in Navan 2030 which include any dedicated cycling infrastructure, which is disappointing to say the least. The intention to reallocate road space to make it a more friendly environment for people to walk and enjoy the town centre is certainly a welcome one, however we feel a lot more could’ve been done. Indeed, we have already seen work completed under Navan 2030 on roads such as Railway Street which have no provision for cycling.
In addition, in the original Navan 2030 proposals, there were no plans to create a much needed civic space or fully pedestrianised area (Old Cornmarket aside). Kennedy Plaza, which was originally intended as Navan’s civic space, will remain largely as it is – a public car park. In a time when the ‘Town Centre First’ policy is being introduced around Ireland and aims to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive location for people to live, work and visit, the Navan 2030 plans fall way short. However, all is not lost, as recent calls to pedestrianise Trimgate Street has led to tweaks in the Navan 2030 work to allow for a trial pedestrianisation of the main street in Navan, which will be a fantastic development for the town. Study after study from around the world shows that pedestrianisation revitalises towns and is hugely beneficial for local business.
As the focus of Navan 2030 is the ‘historic centre’ of the town – which is defined as Trimgate Street, Ludlow Street, Watergate Street, Market Square, and the Kennedy Plaza area – when it comes to implementing new cycling infrastructure in Navan we need to shift our focus to the outer areas which lead to the town centre itself.
Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan
The Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, produced by the National Transport Authority, is a planned cycle network for the Greater Dublin Area (which includes Navan). First launched in 2013, it was recently updated in 2022, as part of the overall GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042. It contains detailed plans for an extensive cycling network for towns and local authorities ranging from Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and beyond. In Meath, the plans are broken down into the County Meath Cycle Route Network, presented in the following sectors:
| Sector | Areas |
| South Meath | Ashbourne, Dunboyne/Clonee, Dunshaughlin, Enfield and Ratoath |
| Central Meath | Athboy, Ballivor, Kells, Navan, Oldcastle and Trim |
| East Meath | Bettystown, Duleek, Drogheda (Southern Fringe), Laytown and Slane |
| Rural | Cycle Links in Meath (including Greenways) |
We have yet to see the implementation of the majority of these plans, although some sections have been completed, such as Johnstown in Navan, the R147 in Kells, and the Dublin Road in Ashbourne. We will focus on Navan, and in particular, the routes which lead to the town. In recent years, a number of cycle schemes have been launched, such as the R147 Martha’s Bridge to Circular Road and the R147 Poolboy Bridge to Kells Road, which are now going through the planning process.
The new Dublin Road cycle scheme (R147 Martha’s Bridge to Circular Road), currently at the detailed design stage
Navan Cycle Network
As part of the GDA Cycle Network Plan, the Navan Cycle Network has detailed primary cycle routes in Navan, split into seven parts. It should be noted the updated 2022 GDA maps do not include these numbered routes, but we have kept them here as they are still used in the plans published by MCC.
- Na1 R147 Dublin/Kells Road between the N51 and Old Balreask Woods.
- Na2 Metges Road / East Orbital.
- Na3 Fairgreen to Johnstown.
- Na4 Southern Ring from Johnstown to Athboy Road.
- Na5 Northern Cross from Athboy Road to Slane Road.
- Na6 Windtown Road to Commons Road.
- Na7 Proudstown Road to Trim Road.
Status of the Network
Below we have outlined the status of each section of the Navan Cycle Network.
| Section | Subsection | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Na1 | R147 Dublin/Kells Road – R147 Martha’s Bridge to Circular Road Scheme – R147 Poolboy Bridge to Kells Road Scheme – Remaining sections: Martha’s Bridge to Old Balreask Woods | Detailed Design Detailed Design No work |
| Na2 | Metges Road / East Orbital – From Metges Road to Kentstown Road (R153) – Local Distributor Road 6 from Kentstown Road (R153) to Ferganstown | Completed Completed |
| Na3 | Fairgreen to Johnstown – Convent Road Filtered Permeability Scheme – Convent Road to Metges Road – Remaining sections: Kentstown Rd/Metges Rd Junction to Old Johnstown | Completed Pre-Design No work |
| Na4 | Southern Ring from Johnstown to Athboy Road – From Johnstown to Dublin Rd R147 – Remaining sections: Dublin Rd to Townparks | Completed No work |
| Na5 | Northern Cross from Athboy Road to Slane Road – From Andy Connolly Roundabout/N51 to Kells Road Roundabout. – From N51/Kells Road junction to Slane Road – Remaining sections: Old Athboy Rd | Completed Completed No work |
| Na6 | Windtown Road to Commons Road – Windtown Road/Ratholdren Road to Commons Road | No work |
| Na7 | Proudstown Road to Trim Road – Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme (from Beechmount to Solstice Roundabout) – Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme (from Solstice Roundabout to New Bridge) – R161 Beechmount to Balreask Manor – Flower Hill Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme | In Construction Pre-Design Pre- Design Pre- Design |
Other Schemes with Cycling Infrastructure
- Pathfinder Project: R161 Navan to Trim Cycle Scheme (more info here)
- Clonmaggaden Road upgrades
- Local Distributor Road 4 – Kells Road to Ratholdren Road (more info here)
- Trimgate Street Pedestrianisation
- Safe Routes to School (6 schemes across Meath – St Stephen’s in Navan)
- Johnstown Village Cycle Scheme
The Cycle Lanes of the Navan Cycle Network
As mentioned above, some sections of the Navan Cycle Network have been completed, or are almost complete, such as in Johnstown or on the N51. However, at present, a large portion of these cycle lanes are in a state of disrepair and fail to provide a continuous route. A lot of the cycle lanes don’t meet the standards set out in the National Cycle Manual: they don’t give cyclists priority, with a lot of ‘end’ and ‘start’ sections, and many are shared walking and cycling paths. Disconnected sections of paths or lanes cannot be described as a proper network – routes have to be coherent and comprehensive. Going forward, Navan Cycling Initiative aims to ensure that best practices are followed to give the people of Navan and surrounding areas the best possible infrastructure on which to commute.
(1) The N51/R161 junction, which fails to give cyclists priority
(2) Metges Road in Johnstown, with no drop in the kerb to allow cyclists to access the road
(3) Bothar Sion, with no drop kerb
(4) Clongmaggaden Road, the bike lane is sharing a space with the path, with the markings eroded, and gives no priority to cyclists at junctions
(5) A new cycling lane on the Kentstown Road, just before Metges Road, with no drop kerb provided
(6) Proudstown /Clongmaggaden Road junction
Greenways
There are three major greenways in various states of planning and construction in County Meath. For more information click on each box below.
The Boyne Greenway begins in Drogheda and runs alongside the River Boyne all the way to the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, located at Oldbridge. There are plans, currently in the Feasibility stage, to continue the Greenway from Oldbridge Estate all the way to Andy Brennan Park in Navan, thus joining up the Boyne Greenway all the way to Drogheda. For more detailed information on the Boyne Greenway, click here.
The Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway runs along the route of the old railway line from Navan to Kingscourt. It passes through the villages of Wilkinstown, Castletown, Nobber and Kilmainhamwood before ending in Kingscourt, and is currently in several stages of development. For more information, click here.
Have your say…
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