Louth park-and-share facility ‘overflowing’ council hears

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

A major expansion of park-and-ride facilities along the M1 is needed as the current site at Junction 16 is “overflowing,” a Louth councillor has warned.

Speaking at Louth County Council’s monthly meeting, Cllr Shane McGuinness said the existing facility had reached full capacity and was now spilling into surrounding residential areas.

“There is no expansion space anywhere at that junction,” he said. “The overflow into surrounding areas is causing a lot of upset with neighbours.”

Cllr McGuinness noted that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) manages park-and-ride facilities, but said the situation now required a broader solution.

“If we are going to do anything it needs to be a new park and ride at Junction 17 or at Junction 18, or indeed Junction 19,” he said. “There is no more space left at Junction 16, I can assure you.”

He suggested that the cross‑border PeacePlus programme could be explored as a possible funding source for any new facility.

“It has become a victim of its own success,” he told councillors.

Mr Hanratty confirmed that the council’s operations team is now examining alternative locations along the M1, with a view to identifying other sites that could be brought forward for TII funding.

“It is at an early stage, but it is something we are looking at,” he said.

The Junction 16 park-and-ride, located just outside Dundalk, has become increasingly popular among commuters travelling to both Dublin and Belfast.

It was first unveiled in 2021 as a 226-bay ‘Park and Share’ facility by TII and Louth County Council in what was then Ireland’s first purpose-built park and share on the motorway network.