Athlone to Ballinasloe motorway to open in a week

The €211 million Athlone to Ballinasloe motorway is set to be officially opened to traffic on Thursday, July 23 next on budget and ahead of schedule, the Westmeath Independent has learned. It"s believed Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Transport Minister Noel Dempsey may travel to the region to the cut the ribbon on the 19-kilometre stretch, which begins south east of Ballinasloe at Tulrush continuing right up to Monksland, west of Athlone. The good news for motorists is that the road will be open for the large crowds travelling for the annual pilgrimage west to the Galway Races, the latest part of the important east-west axis to be completed. However, it will not officially become a motorway until August 28 next when the legal designation kicks in, so until then it remains a dual carriageway with a 100 kilometre an hour speed limit. A Department of Transport statement this week simply states: 'Drivers using the existing open sections of the route (Athlone to Ballinasloe) should note, that until August 28 2009, the current speed limit will apply.' The Athlone to Ballinasloe section of the M6 consists of 19 km of dual carriageway, 4km of realigned local roads and 12 km of accommodation access tracks. 14 new bridges were also built as part of the scheme, a joint venture design build contract by the SIAC Wills companies. Construction work began on the remaining piece of the jigsaw, a 51 kilometre stretch from Galway to Ballinasloe, in May 2007 and this is expected to be completed by the middle of next year. This will results in almost continuous motorway for drivers going from east to west by 2010. The Athlone to Ballinasloe dual carriageway passes through the townlands of Tulrush, Ardcarn, Sralea, Culliaghmore, Kilbegly, Rathpeak, Cloonulty, Tonvey, Loughlackagh, Oldtown Kilcashel, Ballydangan, Moore North, Toberiheen, Liberty, Camcloon, Derrylahan, Dooghan, Thomastown Demesne, Ardkeenan, Belrea, Newtown, Taduff West, Taduff East, Mihanboy, Ardnagawna, Crannagh Beg and Monksland. The road is to connect with the N6 Athlone Relief Road at an existing junction in Monksland. The Athlone to Ballinasloe project was undertaken by Galway County Council on behalf of Roscommon County Council. The development of a Major Inter Urban (MIU) link between Galway and Dublin is an objective of the National Development Plan and Transport 21.