Diversion routes revealed amidst call to postpone road closure in Meath over school safety concerns
Diversion routes for the Eastham Road closure in Bettystown have been confirmed by Meath County Council, however local Fianna Fáil councillor Stephen McKee is calling for the works to be postponed until all safety concerns for schoolchildren are addressed.
The closure, scheduled from Monday, October 6, 2025 to Friday, November 7, 2025, is to allow for the replacement of the Eastham Road culvert and the diversion of two watermains.
In an email to Independent Councillor Carol Lennon, an Executive Engineer with the Council said: “The replacement of this culvert is necessary in order to reduce the risk of flooding.”
The closure will run along the R-150 Eastham Road, between its junctions with Triton Road (L-5632) and Pilltown Road (L-5615). According to the Council, local schools, Bus Éireann, private bus operators, crèches, supermarkets, emergency services and residents have already been consulted. Diversion signage will be in place throughout the five-week closure.
The official diversion route will redirect traffic via Donacarney, Garra Road, and Golf Links Road before rejoining Bettystown through Triton Road. Access for residents, businesses and emergency services will be maintained during the works.
“Our aim is to minimise the impact of these critical works as much as possible,” the engineer said.
However, Councillor Stephen McKee warned the plan does not go far enough to protect families. He is asking for the closure of the Eastham Road to be delayed until all health and safety concerns regarding the safe passage of children to and from local schools have been fully assessed and resolved.
“The works that Meath County Council plan to carry out on the Eastham Road are absolutely necessary to help prevent future flooding but there is potential for massive inconvenience to the public if the work is not carried out taking into account the full needs of the community,” he said.
“I do not believe that the full needs of the community have been taken into account to date so I am calling for a postponement of the road closure.”
He added that parents had raised strong concerns with him:
“A large number of families have been in touch with me to highlight the potential for massive inconvenience on getting children to and from school and parents getting to work."
"The proposed diversion routes are not practical for all children using school transport and will likely cause delays, uncertainty, and huge stress on everyone concerned.”
Cllr McKee also said that residents living on the Narroways have not been “properly considered”under the proposed plans to close the road.
“Though many services and families are being accommodated along the Eastham Road, Triton roads and Whitefield Hall/Manor areas, families living on other local roads such as ‘The Narroways’ are not being properly accommodated,” he added.
According to the councillor, children attending Gaelscoil An Bhradáin Feasa and Le Chéile NS would be dropped at Whitefield Hall/Manor — an area not safely accessible by footpath from The Narroways and would require them walking along the very dangerous Piltown Road and Bettystown Cross area to get home.
“This is not a safe or realistic proposal given the age of these children,” he said.
“Access to schools will be severely disrupted based on the proposal put forward. I am asking Meath County Council to carefully consider the impact on all families and young children and that they postpone the works until all alternative transport arrangements and accommodations are put in place for schools and pre-schools.”
“In future, all such work needs to be planned better and take place during the Summer months when children are off school,” he concluded.