Two plans adopted this week should lead to much safer driving around Athlone, after traffic calming for Glasson village and a newly designed junction for Two Mile/Cloghanboy were green-lighted by Westmeath County Council.
Before adjourning for their summer break, the members were asked to approve the two plans and did so without demur.
In Glasson, a village entered on both sides by long, straight downhill approaches, the approved plan provides for the erection of three sets of gateway-type signs on each approach with 50km/h limit signs.
The plan will also see the construction of two pelican crossings in the village between the gateway signs, provision to have these properly lit, and the extension of public lighting throughout the village.
“This is 13 years in coming,” said relieved local councillor, Mark Cooney, and these sentiments were both echoed and welcomed by Cllr Tom Allen.
In reply to questions, council engineer Michael Connolly told the meeting the Glasson measures would “start within a month, after the Festival of Athlone finishes and it should take a month to do”.
Also approved at this week’s meeting was a plan to tidy up the staggered junction between the Two Mile exit and the entrance to Sonas and Cloghanboy on the Ballymahon Road (N55 ). This will require the erection of pedestrian lights outside Mary’s shop on Two Mile, and further lights on the town side of the junction on the N55.
The road will be re-marked to include filtered turning lanes for the two off-roads and, if needed, a yellow box for the entrance of Cloghanboy.
According to Mr Connolly, discussions are ongoing with households which may be affected, and work is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Also approved this week by the county council was the latest update of plans concerning the ongoing realignment of the Garrycastle bridge (R916 ).
An allocation of €400,000 put aside this year has allowed the design to go to the Department of the Environment, whilst final negotiatons continue with the remaining landowners.
“We would expect to apply for planning permission next year. Westmeath County Council has applied for funding [to build the replacement bridge] but we won’t know for sure until next year,” said Mr Connolly.
So far €1 million has been spent on the design and planning of this, while another €5 million will be required to finish the project.
Estimates at the monthly meeting of Athlone Town Council in February 2009 suggested construction would begin in February 2010 and the project would be finished by August 2011.
Also pushed through at this week’s meeting were the plans to widen and strengthen two bridges on the Westmeath side of the Longford border on the Athlone-Ballymahon (N55 ) road at Tang and Creggy.
Because the estimated €400,000 cost of the Creggy bridge improvements is less than the money remaining within the budget for this year, it is proposed to complete this work before applying to the NRA for the estimated €600,000 required for the Tang river bridge.
The extra 50 per cent in the cost of this work is because the bridge is listed as a national monument and its Victorian cut stone abutment will have to be rebuilt on top of the widened culvert.
