Yes to Julianstown traffic relief - No, to another bypass
We are asking Meath County Council to pause the current bypass route selection for Julianstown and withdraw the present proposal before the 31st of July deadline. The community has been given a choice between four routes, but the current process risks destroying heritage, biodiversity, farmland and homes without solving the real traffic problem.
The council is relying on traffic data from 2016, even though a decade has now passed and housing development in South Drogheda and towns across East Meath has changed the picture. A decision made on outdated evidence cannot be the basis for a route that would cut through a small village and reshape the area for generations.
This issue is not abstract for the people who live here. Families along Duleek Road, Sandyhall Road and Moorechurch Road face the loss of their homes, while landowners across the wider area could lose land and long-standing livelihoods. As a resident on Sandyhall Road, I see how deeply this would split the community: a bridge through the valley would divide us down the middle and leave neighbours facing displacement and isolation.
The problem is not simply where to put traffic. If the council chooses a bypass route that pushes congestion into another place, it will move the burden rather than solve it. Julianstown needs a traffic solution that reflects current conditions, protects the village setting, and respects the people already living there.
Meath County Council should use up-to-date traffic evidence, properly assess the impact on homes, heritage and biodiversity, and return to the drawing board on the current route options. A fair decision must look at the full consequences, not just the easiest line on a map.
The council must withdraw the present route proposal before 31 July and reopen the process on the basis of current evidence and genuine community impact. That is the only way to avoid a decision that would damage Julianstown while leaving the traffic problem unresolved.