More than €2million will be spent on roads in the Mullingar area in 2014.
Councillors have agreed a programme of works including maintenance, resurfacing, mending of potholes, and bridge repairs covering local, regional, and cul-de-sac roads.
At this week’s Mullingar Area meeting councillors welcomed the plan of works with Cllr Ken Glynn, who proposed the adoption of the plan, speaking highly of the group effort to agree the plan.
There is more than €250,000 for local road maintenance, including pothole repair.
The money will be allocated as problems are noted by councillors and council staff, but there is no money for new public lights in the Mullingar area this year. And some 2.3km of regional road restoration will take place at Ballinlug, Ballintue, Walshestown, the hospital, the C-link road and on the Dublin Road at a cost of €389,000.
Local roads at locations including Knockatee, Levington, Green Road/Cathedral View, Balrow, Crossanstown to Milltownpass, Springfield Cottages to Ginnell Terrace, Porterstown, and Curraghboy will be restored at a cost of €590,000, with all of this restoration funding coming from the Department of Transport.
A kilometer of regional road at Churchtown will be resurfaced at a cost of €33,000 and almost 8km of local and cul de sac roads will be resurfaced, again with Departmeth of Transport funding.
These areas include Clonmore to Newbrook, Keoltown, Kerrinstown, Ballinacarrow to Rathconrath, Killinagh, Churchtown to Irishtown, Ballycorkey, Cullionmore, and Emper.
The Department of Transport has provided €297,784 for maintenance of regional roads in the Mullingar area, and Mullingar rates will contribute a further €30,800 to the same project.
There will also be €97,000 for spending on school safety works, with Phase 1 of a three part programme to be completed at each school this year.
Director of services David Hogan said he hopes this will open the door for further funding from the Departments of Transport and Education.
The old fire station will be demolished in Mullingar and the footpath widened from the carpark to Church Avenue to facilitate All Saints School.
If agreement is reached with the board of management at Loreto College, Mullingar the stone wall will be set back and there will be flashing warning lights and signs provided for the Gaelscoil.
The footpath will be extended at Ballynacargy school, there will be kerbing and road widening at Milltownpass school, parking improvements at Emper, and a road safety audit will be carried out at Kinnegad.
Nearly €80,000 will be spent improving footpaths at Chestnut Grove, Bellview/Glenview, Prospect, Sundayswell Road, Meadowcourt, Oaklawns, O’Connell Terrace, and Newbrook.
It follows two in-committee meetings where, behind closed doors, councillors negotiated what works will be prioritized with the funds available to the region.
“There’s something for all of us,” said Cllr Johnny Penrose, complimenting Mr Hogan on the programme.
