Major road traffic overhaul planned along Athlone's Dublin Road

One of the busiest routes into Athlone, the old Dublin Road, is set for a radical overhaul which will see the narrowing of the roadway to make way for double and single cycle lanes, along with the addition of two new signalised junctions.

The move is part of a €13 million plan to develop a 15.4km network of 'Active Travel' schemes on six approach roads into Athlone aimed at encouraging people to cycle and walk instead of using their cars.

The first of the six routes which Westmeath County Council is planning to overhaul is the 2.7km stretch of the R446 Old Dublin Road, from the Ankers Bower Roundabout to the Creggan Roundabout.

The main features of the measures which the local authorityare planning to install include a reduction in the width of the road carriageway to three metres.

A 2.3 metre wide two-way segregated cycle track is to be installed on the north side of the road from Ankers Bower to the TUS campus, diverging into two single lane cycleways on either side of the R446 road from TUS to the Creggan Roundabout.

In addition, upgrade works are planned at three roundabouts along the proposed 2.7km route – Ankers Bower, Willow Park and Wash House Turn - to make provision for both pedestrians and cyclists.

A further two signalised (traffic light) are planned junctions along the route, one at the existing IDA Business Park junction and one at the Athlone Business Park junction.

A planning notice published this week for the active travel project on the Old Dublin Road to Ankers Bower also indicates that a number of junction realignments are planned, as well as raised crossings on side roads to facilitiate the movement of pedestrians.

Meanwhile the movement of cyclists is to be prioritised by the addition of and straight through cycle lane/track cossings on side road junctions.

The road realignment project along the 2.7km stretch of the Old Dublin Road from Ankers Bower to Creggan is the first of the six Athlone Active Travel projects to be advertised by Westmeath County Council under the Part 8 planning process, in which local authorities and other bodies consult with the public about their own projects.

The overall aim of the Active Travel Scheme is to provide members of the public with the option to walk or cycle, and to make it safer to engage in active travel along the public road network.

The planning notice is accompanied by both an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Report and an Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report, both of which were carried out by consultantants Atkins Réaltis.

The AA Screening report concluded that there would be no adverse effects on any Natura 2000 site as a result of the proposed Active Travel Scheme works from Ankers Roundabout to the Creggan Court roundabout, based on “the small scale of the proposed scheme, the duration of the works themselves and any impacts arising from them.”

The EIA Screening report concluded that the preparation of a full Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the project is “not required” due to the “limited nature” of the works, which Akins Réaltis said would have “no significant cumulative impacts” on other developments in the area.

While conceding that “limited noise, vibration and dust emissions” may be generated during construction works, the report added that this would be “minimal in effect and will cause no significant impacts.” It also said there will be “no significant impact” on either biodiversity, groundwater, surface water, traffic, recorded monuments or historic features as a result of the works.

Westmeath County Council published its preliminary draft plans for an Active Travel Scheme on the Old Dublin Road at a public consultation event in February of this year, which contained details of how the local authority proposes to incorporate a double-lane cycleway on one of the busiest stretches of road into Athlone.

In response to questions at the consultation event in February about what plans, if any, Westmeath County Council have to provide additional parking between Ankers Bower and the Creggan Roundabout in an effort to cut down on traffic, Pat Nally, Senior Executive Engineer with the council's Active Travel Department, said a separate Park and Ride Scheme is “in the works.”

Members of the public have until 4pm on September 1 to make submissions or observations on the council's Active Travel Scheme plans for the R446 Old Dublin Road.

Submissions can be made via the Council’s Consultation Portal online at: consult.westmeathcoco.ie/eno/ or they can also be made, in writing, to: Planning Section, Westmeath County Council, Aras An Chontae, Mount Street, Mullingar, N91 FH4N, to arrive not later than 4pm on September 1, 2025.