State support vital for critical section of new Louth road

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

It is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in County Louth, but Louth County Council have now confirmed state intervention will be needed to advance a key part of the Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) in Drogheda.

The proposed route, part of which opened in 2024, will serve as a vital link between the M1 motorway and Drogheda Port, aiming to ease town centre congestion, improve freight access, and unlock significant land for thousands of new homes and development in North Drogheda.

Funding is allocated for each phase of the PANCR construction, some of which are paid for by development levies. But a deadlock has emerged over who will pay for the route to cross the Dublin-Belfast railway line.

An update on the project was sought by Cllr. Paddy McQuillan at the council’s December meeting.

Cllr. McQuillan said he had been speaking with the Chief Executive of Fingal County Council in relation to the PANCR.

He explained that the local authority in Fingal faced a similar problem where a road was needed to cross the railway line at Donabate. Fingal council resolved the issue by paying for half the bridge over the railway track with development levies, and then sought government support for the second half.

Cllr. McQuillan asked if Louth County Council had looked at this option in order to speed up delivery of the Port Access Northern Cross Route.

Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive at Louth County Council explained that the PANCR will be delivered in four phases.

Phase one is complete, but construction on the second phase is expected to begin in 2026. This will likely need state intervention, said Mr. McEvoy.

He added that in effect three of the four phases will be paid for, and the council will be asking the government to pay for one of those phases