What is the N52 Bypass?
The N52 Bypass is a link road joining the N2 just north of Ardee town with the N52 to the south west of the town. The aim of the N52 Ardee bypass is to alleviate traffic problems in the town of Ardee, which are substantial. This road project presents a huge threat to Ardee Bog with the proposed route of the N52 bypass running directly through the easterly edge of Ardee Bog’s surrounding bufferzone habitat. This area is a designated pNHA (proposed Natural Heritage Area).
Friends of Ardee Bog oppose this development through Ardee Bog and advocate to our local and national government to reconsider this deeply flawed project and relocated the proposed road to the South of Ardee town.
Our reasons include;
1. An environmental impact assessment for this project was never carried out.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of assessment of the effects of a project or development proposal on the environment. In the planning area, it is undertaken by a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála during the consideration of applications for planning permission, taking account of an EIA Report. EIAs make sure that project decision makers think about the likely effects on the environment at the earliest possible time and aim to avoid, reduce or offset those effects. In Ireland an EIA is undertaken at the project assessment (planning application/consent) stage. In the case of the N52 bypass this was never carried out.
Friends of Ardee Bog have called for a Judicial Review over this matter.
2. The planned route of the road goes through a proposed natural heritage area.
The proposed route of the N52 Ardee bypass runs directly through the easterly edge of Ardee Bog’s surrounding bufferzone habitat. This area is a designated pNHA (proposed Natural Heritage Area). Ireland has designated 75 Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) under national law (the Wildlife Acts, 1976 to 2010) for the protection of raised bog habitats. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council undertook surveys of Ardee Bog in 1990 and 1998 and identified a core area for conservation surrounded by a bufferzone of supporting habitat. The plan for the N52 bypass is based on plans which were drawn up over twenty years ago and not updated acknowledge this designation proposal.
3. The planned route of the road goes through a flood zone
The bogs’ surrounding bufferzone habitat in Townparks, Ardee has always flooded and it has been getting dramatically worse in recent years. We believe a road should not be built here.
4. It won’t alleviate the traffic problems in Ardee town.
If the aim of the N52 Ardee bypass is to alleviate traffic problems in the town of Ardee, we believe it’s going to fail. We need to bypass a different part of town. The majority of traffic comes from the N2 at the south end of Ardee and merges with traffic for all the primary schools, Community School, church, housing estates, doctor’s surgery, Lidl, etc. We need to divert traffic from the N2, heading east, connecting to the N33 link road.
Additional Issues
Fencing for the N52 Ardee Bypass was illegally installed in October/November 2019 after the Oireachtas ordered all work to stop while the design was reviewed.
