Fears of "a return to 1980s traffic"

A local councillor has said he fears the traffic backlog seen in Athlone in the 1980s could return if Transport Minister Noel Dempsey upgrades the town"s dual carriageway bypass to a motorway. The Department of Transport stated last week that the Minister will reclassify a series of routes from dual carriageway status to motorway by this summer. The Athlone bypass has been earmarked for such an upgrade, but a number of concerns been expressed locally about the planned change. Fine Gael councillor in South Roscommon, John Naughten, is among those who have objected to the reclassification of the dual carriageway, stating that it could have major implications for local road users. 'I am concerned about the impact the motorway could have on the farming community because a number of tractors and trailers currently use the dual carriageway to get from the west side to the east side of Athlone. 'By introducing motorway status those vehicles would be taken off the existing bypass and brought back into the town. I think this would bring us back to the situation we were in in the 1980s when the town was chock-a-block with traffic,' Cllr Naughten told the Westmeath Independent. 'I just don"t think that bringing in motorway status would be feasible or practical. There are also a number of learner drivers who are working in Athlone who would no longer be able to use the bypass if it became a motorway,' he stated. In addition, Cllr Naughten expressed concern about the number of exits onto the bypass at Athlone and the safety implications of such a large volume of vehicles merging with the fast-moving traffic on a motorway. Late last year, members of Westmeath County Council expressed similar concerns and a letter was written from the local authority to the NRA outlining the members" views. In its response, the NRA said it was still awaiting the Minister"s decision on whether sections of the N6 from the Athlone bypass to Galway would be reclassified, but that it recommended the 100 kilometre per hour speed limit on the Athlone road should remain even if the route is upgraded to a motorway. Responding to the issues raised by those who have objected to motorway status being introduced on various routes, including the N6 at Athlone, the Department said last week that 'a considerable number of submissions were received with regard to the various local authorities and these are currently being examined by officials in the Department.'