Westmeath County Council and Longford County Council, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII ), have announced the publication of the Preferred Route Corridor for the N55 Athlone to Ballymahon Road Scheme.
This scheme will upgrade approximately 17km of the N55 national secondary route between Athlone and Ballymahon and is being developed to bypass Ballykeeran, Glasson, and Tang. It will improve safety for all road users along this section of the N55.
The Preferred Route Corridor for this scheme has now been identified and the option selection report finalised. A copy of these documents are now available for viewing and download from the project website www.wccprojectoffice.ie A hard copy of these documents is also available for viewing at the Westmeath National Road Offices in Mullingar.
Next Steps
Following the selection of the Preferred Route Corridor, the next phase of TII’s planning and design process will commence subject to relevant approvals (Phase 3 - Design and Environmental Evaluation ). This will involve further development of the scheme, including relevant surveys, design of the road, identifying the land take required, junction design and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment.
Throughout the Phase 3 design process, the N55 project team is committed to continuously engaging with people living, working or who own land and property within the study area. In order to inform the design process, the N55 project team will first have to undertake a range of engineering and environmental site surveys.
The design team will b ein contact with relevant landowners to arrange these surveys. As the site surveys are completed, the initial design of the road can be progressed. When the design has reached a level of maturity where informed discussions can take place, the N55 project team will consult with directly impacted landowners in relation to the initial design and its impact on land and property. Thereafter, feedback will be considered, and amendments may be made, where feasible, before finalising the design and land take requirements.
If you have further queries about the design process or wish to speak to someone about the project, the N55 project team is available and can be contacted at the following e-mail address [email protected] or by phone on 044-9334250 during normal working hours