It has been in the pipeline for two decades but finally the first section of the Drogheda Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) was officially opened today although it will not open for traffic until next Monday.
The event was attended by leading representatives of Castlethorn; the Housing Infrastructure Services Company (HISCo) and Ballymakenny Developments Ltd, all of whom, along with Louth County Council, were pivotal in bringing the project to fruition.
The new road, which is 4km in length, opens up large tracts of land on the North side of Drogheda for the development of thousands of new homes and is one of the leading projects in the Council’s Capital Programme 2024-26.
The Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Paula Butterly, said; “This is a hugely positive day for Louth and the North East Region. This is a critical piece of infrastructure for the North East Region. It will ensure better connectivity for North Drogheda and allow for thousands of homes to be built and occupied.”
The CEO of Louth County Council, Joan Martin said: “We’re a very long time waiting to build this road, I think it’s about 20 years. The old saying that goes ‘All things come to he who waits’ can be very true sometimes.
“All over those 20 years the vision for this road has remained the same It was always about opening up land and offering Drogheda an opportunity to grow.
“That was reinforced by the National vision for Drogheda as a designated growth centre in the National Spatial Strategy Ireland 2040 which gave us the challenge of increasing the population of Drogheda up to 50,000 and ultimately on to at least 70,000.
“That certainly couldn’t happen in Drogheda without opening up substantial amounts land for housing.
“That’s what is happening here and even this first phase alone has opened up a huge tract of land so it is really bout delivery of housing.
“But it has a secondary vision and that is to offer a direct access between the motorway and the port to remove the port traffic from Drogheda town centre and everybody who lives in Drogheda will now how much difference that will make and open it up to be a nicer place to live and to visit.
“I think there will be four phases in this road and it is going back to the original development model which is working in cooperation with developers funded by the council ultimately through the levies on each new house sold under the Development Contribution scheme.”
Looking forward to the next phase of the road toward the Termonfeckin Road Ms Martin said that there is room there for another six or seven thousand housing units.
“So that’s where the future population of Drogheda, the extra 20,000 people we need to grow Drogheda up to the National vison will live” she said.
Turning her attention to the future phases of the PANCR, MS Martin said the first of these is a short stretch as far as the Railway line which she described as the most difficult section and a complex and technical job
“We are already talking to Irish Rail and the Department of Transport hoping to get funding” she said.
The last section of the Road will be from the Termonfeckin Roundabout down to the Port which again the Council was hoping to get funding from the Department of Transport.
Quoting another old saying ‘a good start is half the work’ Ms Martin said that in this case the good start has been made on what has been the dream of the Council’s and the people of Drogheda for some twenty years.”
Joe O’Reilly, CEO of Castlethorn said “…the success of this project reinforces the advantage of private sector and public sector working together to deliver meaningful change in a timely and cost-effective manner.
“Not only will this road support the growth of commerce in Drogheda town and facilitate the operation of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, but it also supports the delivery of much needed housing at schemes across the northern environs including Ballymakenny Park and Listoke Avenue. By year end 2024, almost 300 families will have moved into our first phase at Ballymakenny Park.”
