Back: Lack of Virginia bypass having major impact on wider community | NorthernSound
By Ronan Gargan · Northern Sound · 6 August 2026

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Listen Back: Lack of Virginia bypass having major impact on wider community. The need for a bypass in Virginia has been a major issue for a
Over 100,000 vehicles traverse through the small town weekly.
These traffic volumes are causing gridlock and up to 3kms tailbacks on a daily basis.
Residents and motorists have been calling for a bypass for a number of decades and they feel forgotten about as the M3 finishes on the Meath/Cavan border.
Anne Taylor lives on the Munterconnaught side of the N3 which is area that motorists use to avoid Virginia and the rural roads in that area were never built to take the volume and speed of traffic on these routes.
She says the traffic in the area has a major impact on people's lives living in the area. Anne says she's fearful that someone will be killed on these very rural roads.
Local man Noel McEnroe says some residents are prisoners in their own homes during certain times of the day and people should not be expected to live in this way.
While, Sgt JIm McDevitt says the amount of vehicles create massive problems for motorists and pedestrians. He says frustrations kick in due to the volume of traffic through the town day and night.
Listen here to the piece on the Lack of Virginia bypass aired earlier on Northern Sound .
Reporting by Ronan Gargan for Northern Sound, funded by the News Reporting Scheme. Republished by News Room under the scheme’s reuse permission.
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