Slane Bypass in Meath gets green light from An Coimisiún Pleanála
The long-awaited bypass for the village of Slane in Meath has received planning approval from An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The approved development includes a 3.5-kilometre dual carriageway bypass around the village and a 258-metre bridge over the River Boyne. The project also features plans to enhance public spaces in and around Slane.
The bypass has been under discussion for more than a decade, with local residents and officials raising repeated concerns about traffic volumes and safety risks.
A previous bypass proposal was rejected in 2012 by An Bord Pleanála due to concerns about its proximity to the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, which includes Newgrange. The new application appears to have addressed those heritage and environmental issues.
The news has been warmly welcomed by local representatives. Meath County Council Cathaoirleach, Councillor Wayne Harding—a Slane native and long-time advocate for the project—described the decision as "a positive one" and a transformative moment for road safety in the area.
He said: “Today is a great day for the people of Slane, a great day for road safety and good news for the northeast commuters. The announcement that the Slane bypass has finally received planning permission has been met with great excitement.”
"For decades there has been a campaign to get the very dangerous N2 out of Slane village. The road through the village has been the scene of countless accidents, causing the deaths of 23 people.”
“A 2012 decision to refuse the bypass was met with deep anger and frustration. But since then, an application has been painstakingly rebuilt by Meath County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.”
He also highlighted that the decision will lead not only to a bypass, but significant investment in the local environment and infrastructure.
“This decision today is not just on the N2 north/south bypass, but will also see millions of investment in a public realm plan which will completely transform Slane."
Cllr Harding stressed the wide-reaching impact the bypass will have on everyday life in the village.
“All aspects of village life across all generations are impacted by the road. Every child in Slane village must use the road to get to school, as do the members of the very popular Slane Men’s Shed. The campaign has gone on so long that different people from the community picked up the baton over the years to keep the need for the bypass at the forefront of national decision-making,” he added.
He also pointed to complementary plans that will enhance Slane and the broader region.
“Today is an extremely positive one. In addition to the bypass progressing, the village will also see nine acres and a period house restored and regenerated as a village park, interpretive centre and craft studios. It will also be part of a much larger project—the Boyne Greenway—which will connect the town of Drogheda to Navan by a pedestrian and cycle path.”
“With a new 500-acre national park being developed at Dowth, the existing World Heritage Centre at Brú na Bóinne, the Battle of the Boyne site, and the towns of Drogheda, Slane, Navan and Trim, the region is edging towards a world-class greenway.”
Slane lies at the junction of the N2, which links Dublin and Derry, and the N51, connecting Delvin in Westmeath to Drogheda in Louth via Navan. An estimated 17,000 vehicles pass through the village daily.