Key road to stunning Louth beach remains closed

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

A key access road to popular local beaches in north Louth remains shut following extensive damage caused by flooding in 2023.

Local councillor, Antoin Watters, told the January meeting of Dundalk Municipal District that he made an application with local residents in Shelling Hill for funding through the CIS scheme.

The road provides vital access to the Blue Flag beach at Templetown/Shelling Hill, and the continued closure is adding to traffic congestion in the summer months.

He told councillors that the recent CIS application was one of twenty four roads to be successful, but currently sits at the very bottom of the list for works to be carried out, due to the rating and the cost benefit carried out.

"The amount of money that it would take to do it is significant, it would nearly take the whole pot of money, and no other CIS schemes would be done.”

He asked the council if there was an opportunity to take a similar approach to the €1million awarded for repairs on ten roads in Cooley following the severe flooding in the area during 2023.

"If we could make a special case to the department for the money to be ring-fenced for Shelling Hill, because we see it every June and July, the knock on effect of traffic congestion going into Templetown is all exacerbated by Shelling Hill being closed. It is badly missed.”

He said he was “pursuing every avenue I can” and was successful in the application with the landowner, “but we are bottom of the list so it may not be done for ten or twelve years, in fact it might never be done.”

In an appeal to the council, he asked if there were any alternative funding streams which could be accessed.

Separately he thanked the council for works carried out in Ballagan, but asked when there are other minor works programmes being done in the area if more permanent works could be looked at in Ballagan.

He also asked for more signage on roads where there are low bridges along the old railway line.

He said a forty foot truck had hit one of the bridges near Martin’s Pub as “they didn’t know the bridge was there and they weren’t aware of what height it was.”

“Could we do an assessment on it and look at getting some signage to warn drivers of large vehicles that there is a low bridge ahead?” said Cllr. Watters.

Cllr. Fiona Mhic Concohille said new signage was needed in Carlingford as a lorry had gone straight through the village.

"Could we get additional signage for ‘no entry’ where Carlingford Street meets Holy Trinity? The road signs are faded there.”

She added that cars are also going up the main street in Omeath, turning right when they come out of the Grand Central Hotel. More signage was needed to alert motorists.

Patrick Callan, Executive Engineer at Louth County Council told the meeting that Shelling Hill was bottom of the list due to the location and the number of houses on it.

"As regards EU funding, I will send in a request to the department. We can put through a business case and see where it goes from there.”

He said he had also sent the request through to the coastal team to ask how plans are progressing with the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Mr. Callan said linking in the Ballagan works with other schemes could be looked at.

He told that the council would actively look into road markings and signage for low bridges.

New signage could also be looked at for the locations in Carlingford and Omeath to warm drivers of one way systems, said Mr. Callan.