Opening of Athlone cycleway extension delayed until later this month

The opening of the cycleway extension in Athlone has been delayed by a number of weeks and is now expected to happen in late September.

Friday, August 27, was previously pencilled in as the anticipated opening date for the new 1.1km stretch from the White Gates, on the Ballymahon Road, to the town's Marina.

When contacted last week, Westmeath County Council's senior executive engineer Michael Kelly said the opening of the new section was still a few weeks away.

"It's nearly there. It will definitely open in September," he stated.

The long-awaited extension to the popular amenity is being carried out on behalf of the council by local company PD Contractors.

It will make use of the new railway underpass at Montree, beneath the Dublin to Galway train line, which was constructed in Easter 2019 at a cost of approximately €4 million.

In addition to the opening of the cycleway extension, the awarding of a contract for the construction of the pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Shannon is expected to happen in September.

Work on the cycleway bridge, one of the most significant town-centre infrastructural developments in modern times, is due to start in October.

The new route to Athlone Marina will be the first section of cycleway to open in the town in more than four years.

The 40-kilometre Old Rail Trail from Mullingar to Garrycastle was developed at a cost of approximately €7m and was officially opened by then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny in October 2015.

Work on the 2.2km extension from Garrycastle to the White Gates started in September 2016. The public began using it in December of that year and the official opening, by then-Transport Minister Shane Ross, took place in April 2017.