Crowds gather to witness history as Athlone cycleway bridge opens
After many delays and false dawns, Tuesday, August 8, was a day of celebration for Athlone with the opening of the magnificent new Greenway Bridge over the River Shannon by Minister for State Jack Chambers, who described the new structure as “the bridge of opportunity”.
At a cost of approximately €15 million, the new bridge completes the 108km stretch of Greenway from Athlone Castle to Maynooth and offers pedestrians and cyclists a safe off-road river crossing from the Luan Gallery to the Radisson Blu Hotel in the heart of Athlone.
The project is a key element of the plan to provide a 300km coast-to-coast greenway from Dublin to Galway, and is designed to tap into the growing international tourism market for cycling as well as the Government's commitment to active travel.
Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Liam McDaniel said the new bridge is “more than a piece of transport infrastructure” for Athlone, and went on to describe it as “an architectural and urban amenity that will become an iconic focal point in Athlone and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.”
Cllr McDaniel was joined by a host of local and national politicians, along with representatives of a huge number of clubs in Athlone, Roscommon and beyond for the bridge opening, which took place on the Luan Gallery side of the new structure just after 9.30am.
Also there to witness the historic occasion for the town were local people who turned out in their droves to take part in the festivities.
The focal point of the new bridge, and the location for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, is an inlaid bronze plaque highlighting the significance of the structure as being the point where East meets West.
Given that the plaque is located at the historical dividing line between Leinster and Connaught, local authority planners are hoping that it could become a popular Instagram location for visitors to Athlone and the Midlands region to take social media snaps in the future.
Describing the location of the bridge as being on “a difficult and restricted town centre site,” Cllr Liam McDaniel paid tribute to Meath-based Jons Civil Engineering for their work on the massive infrastructural project.
He also paid tribute to the Chief Executive of Westmeath County Council, Pat Gallagher, and the staff of Westmeath National Roads Office of the council for their support for the project and also acknowledged the input and funding from the Department of Transport and also Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Cllr McDaniel also thanked the public in Athlone for their “ongoing co operation and patience” during the construction phase of the project.
In his address, Westmeath County Council's Chief Executive Pat Gallagher described the opening the new Athlone Greenway Bridge as being "a historic day for Athlone, for the region and indeed, for the country.”
He said Athlone town stood at the “centre of two great highways of medieval Ireland, the River Shannon and the Eiscir Riada” both of which are represented in the bronze plaque at the centre of the new bridge.
Mr Gallagher said he was convinced that the coast-to-coast greenway from Dublin to Galway will become the new bridge would become the Great Highway, or the “Slí Mór” of Ireland for the 21st century. He paid tribute to the Council's Director of Services Barry Kehoe, and a wide range of Council staff for their work on the bridge project as well as all the contractors involved.
The preferred route for the western section between Athlone Castle and Galway was announced earlier this year with the proposed route passing through Shannonbridge, Portumna, Gort and Oranmore before it reaches Galway city.