Published: Wednesday, 24th March, 2010 6:00pm

Trains couldn't clear proposed bridge

Plans for the new Garrycastle Bridge have been delayed because the height of the original design was too low to allow trains pass under safely.

The twist emerged when Athlone Director of Service Barry Kehoe updated the Athlone members of Westmeath County Council on the project and said that it had been discovered that the bridge needs to be raised by 0.662 metres.

It meant a new design had to be drawn up because the one previously granted planning permission was not high enough.

The new design was approved to go to the Part VIII planning process, a procedure by which a public body advertises its own projects for public submissions, this month and this could take up to three months to complete. Next year is now the proposed start date for the bridge's construction. Fine Gael Councillor Alan Shaw said he was frustrated by this further delay but pointed out that there is no guarantee of government funding for the construction of the bridge.

"The delays are regrettable and frustrating for the hundreds of people using the bridge on a daily basis, particulary parents bringing their children to schools in the Retreat Road area," he said yesterday (Tuesday). He pointed out that over €1 million has been spent on the project so far, even though the funding for construction has not yet been secured from the government.

He said it now appeared as if 2011 was the earliest date construction work could commence on the long-awaited project.

"I have previously criticsed the budgeting process the council uses. These long-term contracts straddle a number of years but each project should be budgeted for the entire process...

We're pouring taxpayers money into projects with no guarantee they'll be built."

He said that there was "no sense of urgency" to the development of projects when various state agencies were involved and accused some bodies of having "no regard or respect" for funds.