Athlone N6 speed limit 'should be reduced to 80km' says councillor

An Athlone councillor is proposing a reduction in the speed limit of the N6 Athlone relief road, from 100km per hour to 80km per hour.

The proposal is being made by Green Party councillor Louise Heavin in a motion that will be debated at Monday's meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District.

The wording of her motion asks: "That the Municipal District of Athlone-Moate write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) requesting a reduction in speed limit of 80kmph on the dual carriageway around Athlone and the installation of speed cameras to enforce the new limit."

The M6 Dublin to Galway motorway carries a 120km speed limit, but at present this reduces to 100km along the N6 section of the route in Athlone.

A noise survey which was carried out by consultants at seven residential areas of Athlone earlier this year found that the traffic noise from the N6 was excessive.

The report said one possible method of reducing noise would be to lower the speed limit to 80km, but it said the installation of 3 or 4-metre high absorptive noise barriers was another potential ways of reducing the traffic noise for local residents.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Cllr Heavin said her motion had been prompted by the traffic noise survey but there were other reasons why she believed the speed limit should be reduced.

"There are a few different reasons why I think this is a good idea, but crucially there have been complaints about noise along that stretch of road, because it's so close to the town, and this is an effective way of reducing the noise.

"As far as I consider it, this is a common sense approach (to reducing noise levels). It's the cheapest way of doing it, and the least disruptive way of doing it.

"It would have additional benefits along the route, as well as reducing emissions in close proximity to the town, which has health benefits also."

When asked if she thought the other local councillors would support her call to lower the speed limit, she said: "I haven't spoken to any of them about it, but I hope I do get their support, and, crucially, if we do write to TII, I hope that that they would support it.

"In my travels around the UK, there is often a lower speed limit when a national route travels through a town and I think we should be no different here in Athlone.

"It's the right thing to do and it won't make journey times much longer. It would add maybe a minute to someone's journey, so I really hope we can support it and write to TII, and that TII look at implementing this."

She added that enforcement of any speed limit change would also be essential. "It's really no use reducing the speed limit unless there's enforcement of it," she said.

The motion will be debated at the June meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District this Monday afternoon (June 12).