Work underway on road network for second Athlone IDA business park
The internal road network at a proposed second IDA Business and Technology Park in Athlone should be completed by this autumn.
Work has been ongoing at the 56-acre site on the Ballymahon Road in Athlone recently and IDA Ireland has told the Westmeath Independent that the project is “due for completion in Q3 2026”.
In late 2024, planning permission was granted for a seven-metre-wide, 465-metre-long, internal road network at the site, as well as a new access junction onto the N55 Ballymahon Road, internal roundabout and priority junctions, as well as cycle lanes and other services.
The existing IDA Business & Technology Park in Garrycastle is already a major contributor of employment locally. The move to develop a second IDA park in Athlone is seen as a huge boost for the economy of the area and the completion of the road network paves the way for future development on the site. IDA Ireland has previously said any future projects will be subject to separate planning applications.
IDA Ireland acquired the landbank in 2020. It stretches from the N55 Ballymahon Road, to the north, almost to the N6 bypass to the south and is located between the State Examinations Commission/Department of Education and the Mayfield Grove residential estate.
An indicative masterplan, notional only, provided to Westmeath County Council has shown nine development zones, hosting office/labs, medium scale developments and large-scale developments, as well as amenity space.
The plans also provide for a future pedestrian/cyclebridge over the bypass linking the IDA park to the Plovers Wood housing development in the Lissywollen area.
Previously, the IDA said planning permission allowed for “essential infrastructure which will enable development of the landbank to facilitate further strategic investment in the region”.
In a statement this week, an IDA Ireland spokesperson said: “IDA Ireland has prepared a structured strategy for the phased development of the site located at Lissywollen, Athlone, including the delivery of advance infrastructure required to open up the lands for future enterprise development. The project commenced in Q4 2025 and is due for completion in Q3 2026, aligned to the grant of planning received.”
The statement said: “A core objective of IDA Ireland’s strategy, Adapt Intelligently, is to enable, influence and deliver a competitive property offering that supports national economic investment, attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and facilitates the growth and expansion of indigenous enterprise within the Enterprise Ireland portfolio.
“In support of this objective, IDA Ireland keeps its landholdings under continual review ensuring that each region has the necessary conditions to foster enterprise, innovation, and attract investment and talent.”
It’s understood that the new junction with the N55 will operate, for now, as a priority junction, which can be converted to traffic lights prior to the opening of any development on the site.