Published: Wednesday, 25th August, 2010 5:00pm

Bypass work will not be finished for Christmas

Work on the €7 million facelift project earmarked for the Athlone bypass is expected to start in October but it is unlikely to be finished by Christmas, Westmeath County Council has confirmed this week, however the local authority stressed that disruption to motorists will kept to a minimum.

The work entails a complete upgrade of the increasingly unkempt seven kilometre stretch straddling Westmeath and Roscommon, a replacement of safety barriers, upgrade of the median, relocation of utility cables like broadband from the middle of the road to the side and work on the pavement overlay.

"There will be some disruption but it will be minimal," Michael Kelly, Project Engineer in the Regional Design Office of Westmeath County Council said this week, pointing out that contractors would have to carry out a complete traffic management plan for the duration of the project and any utility restrictions would be "very little" and would be probably at night time. The council is currently in discussions with Eircom, BT and 3 on how best to manage the changeover. "We will maintain two-way traffic at all times and it is not intended to use diversions," he said.

He added there would not be a telecommunications blackout contrary to earlier reports of widespread broadband or phone shutdowns across the region during construction.

"Moving them (cables) from the middle to side makes it a safer option for maintenance," Mr Kelly explained.

He added that this work would be undertaken in association with the phone companies and contractors.

The project is expected to take several months to complete, Michael Kelly also confirmed but it very unlikely to be complete prior to the busy Christmas period.

30,000 cars a day currently use Athlone bypass according to the local authority, who have been told by the Department of Transport that the road will not be upgraded to a motorway in the foreseeable future.