Meath County Council Chairperson, Cllr Tommy Reilly has expressed his disappointment at the
complete lack of dialogue on the delivery of the Leinster Orbital Route, a motorway linking
Drogheda with Navan and Naas.
Speaking last Friday at the launch of the Meath Climate Action Plan in Buvinda House, where
Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan T.D. was in attendance, Cllr Reilly, once again reiterated the
need for the Leinster Orbital Route. He expressed his disillusionment that the route failed to even
get a mention in the National Development Plan and insist that it is still, very much so needed.
It was recently announced that Meath is to receive funding to the tune of €25.1m to improve local
and national roads as part of a national investment programme, a move that was welcomed by
Cllr Reilly on Friday. However the Leinster Orbital Route, according to the long serving Fianna Fáil
councillor, still remains vital.
“The fact that there was not even one mention of the Outer Orbital Route in the National
Development Plan is absolutely astounding,” said Cllr Reilly after last Friday’s launch.
“The route remains a vital piece of infrastructure and it would bring huge relief to so many in our
county who face a horrendously time consuming commute every single day,” he added.
The Leinster Orbital Route was to run from Drogheda to Newbridge in County Kildare and it was
to include intermediate links to Navan and other towns in Meath.
“It was first mooted well over 20 years ago and received support from the Government in 2008, however given the current national
transport policy shift towards investment in public transport and maintaining and improving the
current road network, it appears that the Orbital Route may never come to fruition.”
