A decision on how Westmeath’s new cycleway will cross the Shannon will be made next month according to the county council’s director of services, Barry Kehoe.
The council has been trying to solve the problem of the cycleway crossing the Shannon in Athlone for nearly a year. “It’s difficult to identify the best route for the cycleway. All the options for crossing the Shannon have positives and negatives, it’s very difficult to weigh it all up, it all depends on your perspective,” Mr Kehoe explained to Monday’s meeting of the county council’s transport and planning strategic policy committee.
Mr Kehoe explained that the council has a month to go to prepare an Environmental Impact Study (EIS ) on the Athlone part of the route before presenting it to An Bord Pleanála in January 2015.
The EIS does not need to be approved by councillors, however there will be a public consultation process with An Bord Pleanála.
