“Multi-million euro project” needed to reduce noise levels on Athlone bypass
The September meeting of Athlone Moate Municipal District was told this week that a “multi-million euro project” would be needed to solve the traffic noise being experienced by residents living along the busy N6 Athlone Relief Road.
A detailed survey carried out by consultants on behalf of Westmeath County Council in January of this year confirmed that traffic noise at seven separate locations along the route exceeded recommended guidelines during the day and also at night.
In fact, the noise levels at Cloghanboy Close were found to be “significantly higher” than the permitted guidelines, according to the council’s Director of Services, Barry Kehoe, who pointed out that the current standards in relation to noise “did not apply when the road was built in the 1980s.”
A number of residents whose lives have been impacted by the noise levels along the Athlone relief road attended this week’s council meeting and sat in the public gallery to watch proceedings and to hear what mitigation measures the council are planning to put in place.
Cllr Aengus O’Rourke said it was only when someone stood “in the kitchen or the garden” of one of the affected homes that they could fully appreciate “the noise, the disruption and the intrusion” that the Athlone Relief Road has brought into the lives of the residents living along the route of the busy stretch of motorway.
“These residents would welcome any measures at all, whether it be at level one or level nine, because the intrusion on their lives is getting ever greater, from heavier vehicles to greater speeds and busier roads,” said Cllr O’Rourke, who added that he had raised this issue with Environment Minister, Eamon Ryan, on his recent visit to Athlone and is planning to bring a delegation of affected residents to meet the Minister in the near future.
Referring to the road surface, Cllr O’Rourke said it was his “strong belief” that the surface of the N6 relief road was “the real problem” but this was refuted by Barry Kehoe, who told the meeting that the road surface had been totally replaced by Transport Infrastructure Ireland “within the last decade” and that a low impact material had been used. However, he conceded that there were “probably newer surfaces” available now which would be even quieter.
The meeting heard that the report prepared by the consultants outlined two potential options for reducing noise levels: a lowering of the speed limit on the Athlone N6, from 100km per hour to 80km per hour; or the installation of three or four-metre high absorptive noise barriers at residential areas adjoining the dual carriageway.
Barry Kehoe told this week’s meeting that a reduction in the speed limit from 100km per hour to 80 km per hour would be “the least effective measure” and “could be impractical” to implement. He also added that this measure would not result in “any noticeable reduction in noise levels” for the residents who are most affected.
Mr Kehoe said the construction of absorptive noise barriers in proximity to the residential properties along the route would result in “significant decreases in noise levels” depending on the height of the barriers.
However, he said this would be “a multi-million euro” project and that the council would be tasked with the job of “trying to find a funding stream” for it.
Cllr Frankie Keena said “realistically it will take a long time” before the sound barriers could be put in place and he wanted to know if there was anything that could be done “in the short to medium term” to help the residents most affected by the noise.
Barry Kehoe said he was “not aware” of any actions that could be taken in the short to medium term as the council would not have the expertise in-house to undertake a Feasibility Study, which is one of the next steps to be taken by the local authority.
“I cannot say when we will have costed proposals, but I am recommending that we revisit this issue early in 2024,” he said, which prompted Cllr Aengus O’Rourke to ask “what could possibly take six months?”
The Director of Services responded that the council needed to speak with Department officials, prepare a design brief, undertake a Feasibility Study and identify funding steams. “If we were doing nothing else this could be done in two or three months, but a lot of other things need to be done also, and we cannot devote 100% of our time to this project,” he said.
At the suggestion of the Cathaoirleach, Cllr Louise Heavin, the council voted to write to Minister Eamon Ryan and Jack Chambers and enclose a summary of the noise level report prepared by the consultants.