Fears tractors could clog up Athlone roads

Fears that the town of Athlone could be clogged up with slow moving agricultural vehicles and tractors, should the revamped Athlone bypass be upgraded to motorway status, were expressed at the May meeting of Roscommon County Council, held in St Brigid's Handball complex in Curraghboy last week. There was a consensus among the South Roscommon-based councillors that the investment in the stretch of road was badly needed but there were worries that a change in the status of the road would ban learner drivers, tractors and other slow moving vehicles from the road as the speed limit would rise. Director of Services Majella Hunt told the local authority meeting that the National Roads Authority has allocated over €7.5 million to Westmeath Council for the upgrade of the relief road, including a complete overlay of the stretch, upgrade of safety barriers and bringing up a number of interchanges along the route to the proper standard. Because the stretch crosses into Roscommon, the local authority will be represented on a steering committee, set up to oversee the project and will act as partners with their counterparts in Westmeath. Welcoming the funding, Cllr John Naughten said the investment was vitally needed but his concern was that the road would be upgraded and then redesignated as a motorway, something he warned would have serious consequences for local communities in Roscommon, particularly provisional drivers and farmers with land on both sides of the stretch. "They would no longer be able to use the dual carriageway and would have to move into town, I'd worry about that situation arising," he said. Monksland-based FF Cllr John Keogh welcomed the upgrade work, but expressed particular concern about the existing danger of accidents on part of the road at Ganly's Roundabout which has completed eroded. "There is a big pothole on it," Cllr Keogh explained calling for interim works to be carried out there as a matter of urgency. The upgrade of the Athlone Relief road must mean the speed limit remains the same, according to Cllr Paddy Kilduff, who pointed out that it would be ridiculous to drive young drivers and farmers back into town as a result. With over €7m to be spent on the works, the Fianna Fáil public representative said it was vital that at exit 15 signs to direct motorists to the old Ballinasloe road must be installed as rate payers in that area were extremely dissatisfied. Cllr Ollie Moore said the Athlone Relief Road was so named and he would like it stay that way, rather than seeing slow vehicles stuck in town clogging up traffic. "I remember the traffic jams on Fridays before that road opening, with cars stretching from Kilmartins right through to Baylough. It's important it remains a dual carriageway, it's an important link road around Athlone," Cllr Moore, a native of Taughmaconnell argued. In response, Director of Services, Majella Hunt explained that on completion of the road upgrade, there may be a declaration of motorway status but that would be the decision of the Minister for Transport.