Athlone to Galway cycleway project stalls again

Progress on advancing the long-promised greenway from Athlone to Galway has ground to a halt, with a top Department of Transport official revealing that the councils involved have been asked to "reflect" on the project after "potential effects on biodiversity" were identified.

A 200km preferred route for the greenway was announced more than two and a half years ago - but that route is now under review.

Garret Doocey, assistant secretary general at the Department, was questioned about the greenway project at the Oireachtas public accounts committee earlier this month.

Galway East TD Albert Dolan said he had met with landowners who were concerned about compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) being used as a means of acquiring land for the project, and he asked whether CPOs were "still on the table".

Mr Doocey replied that "a review was conducted in light of the difficulties that the Deputy has outlined," and a report was received in August of this year.

The review "has identified some issues for consideration regarding potential effects on biodiversity and so on," the Department of Transport official said.

"What is happening right now is that the relevant county councils in Galway, Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon are all keen to progress the project, but they have to reflect on the risks that have been identified in the report that was received in the summer and then try to plot a way forward for how we might deliver on that," he stated.

The route between Athlone and Galway would form the remaining piece of a national Dublin to Galway greenway.

While interconnected greenways have been developed successfully along the eastern half of the national cycle corridor, the process of extending them west of the Shannon has been beset by years of setbacks and delays.

Gary Gilsenan, senior engineer with Westmeath County Council's National Roads Office, told the Westmeath Independent the decision to review the preferred route, which was announced in 2023, had been taken "due to recent policy changes and emerging environmental and engineering constraints".

Mr Gilsenan said consultants had been appointed to undertake a review of the preferred route and to "capture any recent developments in relation to policy and the delivery of greenway projects".

He confirmed that Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the relevant local authorities were currently "considering the next steps" in relation to the project.

"A consultants' framework for the further advancement of the scheme is in place subject to the outcome of the review of the preferred route," he said.

"The Project Team are hopeful that funding will be allocated to the scheme in 2026 that will allow the scheme to progress in full or in part."

Mr Gilsenan added that those involved with the project were "hopeful for a positive outcome" of the current review, adding that the greenway "would be a great addition to Ireland's tourism market while also bringing significant benefits to local communities".

The Athlone to Galway greenway has been discussed for more than a decade, and suffered its first significant setback in 2015 when the Government announced that the project was being 'paused' amid vociferous opposition from East Galway landowners over what they felt was a lack of consultation and the use of compulsory purchase orders to acquire land.

Planning for the project resumed in late 2019, and the preferred route west of Athlone was published in late March 2023.

Later in 2023, the main consultant appointed to work on the greenway, RPS, said it was suspending its work on the project because its involvement was "no longer financially viable" for the company.

In recent years, a Galway to Athlone Cycleway Project Office was set up in Ballinasloe and an official website for the project - galwaytoathlonecycleway.com - was put in place.

The most recent update in the 'news' section of the project's website is now 20 months old, dating from April 2024.