Confirmation that the National Roads Authority will carry out a feasibility study on the provision of a by-pass for Slane was warmly welcomed yesterday by the Slane Bridge Action Committee (SBAC).
It was formed last February after the death of two-year-old David Garvey in an accident at the bridge, when a lorry crushed the car he was in. He was the 22nd person to die in an accident at the bridge in the last 40 years.
A by-pass of the village is the aim of the SBAC and yesterday, PRO John Ryle said: "We welcome the feasibility study but we realise that these things can take time and we look forward to the day a final commitment is given to a by-pass." The allocation of €190,000 for the study was called "significant" by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey.
It is in addition to €817,000 for extra safety measures on the southern approach to the bridge. "This will ensure that immediate safety measures can be put in place in the short term and that, at the same time, we also plan ahead towards achieving a longer term solution to this problem."