Tenders sought for design of Cornamaddy to Coosan link road
Tenders are being sought for the design of the Cornamaddy to Coosan Link Road.
The proposed link road will stretch from the Cornamaddy roundabout across the Cornamagh Road and onto the Coosan Road (L-1478, the road from Coosan Church to Coosan Point). It will join this road close to where the Bog Road from Hillquarter to Coosan connects with the L-1478.
Westmeath County Council is seeking tenders from a multi-disciplinary consultancy team with "expertise in the area of transport planning and design" to deliver the design of the 2km project on a phased basis.
The proposed link road was approved for major funding in June by the Government under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund.
The Cornamaddy to Coosan Link Road received approval under Call 1 of the new fund, a €1 billion Government initiative designed to provide the infrastructure needed to accelerate housing delivery across the country.
Details of the proposed development were recently published on the government's eTenders contracting website, with Westmeath County Council seeking to establish a framework agreement for the provision of "engineering consultancy services for various transport infrastructure projects with a value of less than €10 million” over a maximum four-year period up to 2030.
The documents state that the initial contract, as part of the proposed framework agreement, is for the Cornamaddy to Coosan link road project.
The link road is "intended to facilitate pedestrians, cyclists and traffic, including local public transport”. The project will "potentially include a bridge structure" and "facilitate future residential developments in the northern suburbs of Athlone".
It is expected that the successful applicant will deliver the proposed development in three stages with an estimated start date of November 2026 for the "concept development and options selection" phase of the project.
The consultant will be tasked with assessing the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of developing this scheme and with producing a report identifying and assessing all feasible potential options and a preferred option for the project.
An estimated start date for the preliminary design phase of the project is March 2027, while the three-month statutory process phase is estimated to commence in September 2027. This will involve the preparation of a planning submission for the project.
The consultants are also being asked to prepare any compulsory purchase order documentation required.
The proposed development will help to "activate and accelerate the delivery of private, social and affordable residential housing units and "provide for future active travel, public transport measures and vehicular access to zoned lands for residential development in the Cornamaddy, Cornamagh and Coosan areas".
The road will "improve traffic circulation and reduce pressure on existing roads", "provide footpaths and off-road cycle lanes on both sides of the link road" and also "provide crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists".
At the time of Government funding approval for the proposed link road, local Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said the road would "directly unlock lands for approximately 2,500 residential units and support the delivery of a further 2,100 homes in the wider area".
Minister of State Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, also welcomed the funding announcement, acknowledging that the new link road will "not only help to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity, but will also support the future growth and development of Athlone as a key regional centre.”