Meath County Council can no longer allow motorists risk life and limb at a notorious junction in the county and needs to finally act in the interests of safety.
Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibin says “The latest collision at the Borallion / Balreask junction near Teach na Teamhrach on the Trim Road in Navan is yet another stark reminder of the danger faced daily by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians at this long-problematic crossroads.
For years, locals have been forced to navigate this junction, essentially playing “Russian Roulette” with their lives.
This junction has been raised countless times, petitions have been signed, and it has been discussed repeatedly at Council meetings. Meath County Council is fully aware of the risks. Yet nothing has changed.
Under the now-abandoned Pathfinder cycle scheme (Navan–Trim), there was a clear commitment to finally address this junction with proper safety-led design. Its cancellation was a major blow to public confidence and to everyone who relies on this busy route every day.
Following the latest collision, I again asked Meath County Council a simple and urgent question: when will this junction finally receive the technical, structural and safety-focused overhaul it so clearly requires?
We cannot continue with this haphazard layout for another year. Delivery and implementation of a revised junction design in 2026 is critical to preventing further accidents and injuries.
This latest incident, alongside years of accidents and near-misses, must galvanise Meath County Council into long-overdue action. This junction is simply not safe and has not been safe for years.
I am calling on the Council to get onsite immediately, design and implement a junction that is fit for purpose, can accommodate current traffic volumes, and places the safety of all road users first.
A roundabout remains the most welcome and sensible solution. While this was previously ruled out due to space constraints, the cutting back of the nearby hedgerow may now provide sufficient space in line with roundabout design standards.
Driver responsibility is, of course, a key component of road safety and no one disputes that. However, this junction has seen far too many accidents and near misses over many years for the issue to be dismissed as driver behaviour alone. The frequency and pattern of incidents clearly point to the need for remedial works and a proper junction redesign. Where a layout repeatedly gives rise to collisions, the onus is on the local authority to intervene, redesign and make the road environment safer for all users.
Meath County Council has a duty to the people of the county to do this”
