Series of new pedestrian crossings for Athlone

A raft of new road traffic measures costing in the region €700,000 are to be introduced at numerous locations around Athlone and its surrounding areas – with some changes having to take place before the end of November.

Included among the changes will be works close to Golden Island Shopping Centre, at Ceannt Road and MacDiarmada Road.

The measures also include works to take place outside some local schools, with a new pedestrian crossing to be constructed outside Our Lady's Bower secondary school at Retreat Road, Athlone.

A new pedestrian crossing will also be developed at Roscommon Road, Athlone – emerging from the green area at the front of St Joseph's Villas.

The changes, which primarily focus on pedestrian crossings and other traffic calming measures, was approved at a recent special meeting of Municipal District Athlone-Moate, where District Engineer Willie Ryan confirmed the total cost of almost 30 projects would be approximately €700,000.

Some funding for the projects, he said, will come from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

As part of the funding agreement with the NTA, it is stipulated that works which fall under its umbrella must be finished by November 27.

These include a new raised crossing at Ceannt Road (linking Burgess Park and Golden Island Shopping Centre car park); a pelican crossing upgrade at MacDiarmada Road; and two zebra crossing upgrades at Athlone Regional Sports Centre.

The upgrading of crossings and permeability links at eight other locations in Athlone – Abbey Road graveyard, Assumption Road, Ballinahown, Cartron Drive, Coosan Road, Sarsfield Square, St Peter's National School, and Whitebeam Avenue – must also be completed by November 27.

That date is also the deadline to complete a new permeability link at Hazelwood, Rindoon, and two new raised crossings 'to provide pedestrian priority' at Tuar Ard, in Moate.

Other upgrades to pedestrian crossings will take place at Battery Heights, John Broderick Street, Northgate Street, Old Galway Road, and at Sean Costello Street, the special meeting heard, as well as to a pedestrian crossing at Mount Temple.

All councillors at the special meeting agreed to the proposals and Fianna Fáil councillor and Mayor of Athlone-Moate Municipal District Liam McDaniel thanked District Engineer Willie Ryan and his team for its work on the various projects, adding that he hoped to see the projects scheduled to finish by November 27 do so in time. The District Engineer said that all proposed projects will enhance the standard of existing crossings and permeability links, and that the new additions will also be of 'a very high standard'. The new road traffic measures are part of the District-led Active Travel Scheme and the Traffic Calming Works Programme.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.