Garrycastle Bridge re-alignment still on agenda - Cllr Keena

The chairman of the Athlone Area committee of Westmeath County Council has insisted that the re-alignment of Garrycastle Bridge is still on the government agenda, despite the current delays. Last month, councillors voted for the project to go to Part 8 planning again after a request from Iarnród Éireann to raise the bridge by approximately another 0.6 of a meter to provide for a safe vertical clearance. "Of course this delay is a huge disappointment to be faced with but planning procedures have to be followed in accordance with the regulations," said Cllr Frankie Keena (FF). "The important thing is that in an era of cutbacks this project is still on the agenda within the Department of Transport. This regional road project is seen as a key infrastructural necessity linking the N55, M6 and the campuses of Athlone Institute of Technology and IDA Business Park." Cllr Keena said that once planning permission is granted, Westmeath County Council will then carry out the necessary steps to apply to the Department for funding for the construction phase this year. "Obviously under the present economic climate God only knows as to what will happen next year, so I admit it will be a challenge to get this capital money. But we have to make sure that at local authority level we do not give the Department any excuses to delay funding, so it is of utmost importance that we fulfilled all our requirements before formal application," he added. The councillor said he understood how the current bridge causes frustration for thousands of motorists who use it on a daily basis, and pointed out that it is unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians especially at peak times. Finally, Cllr Keena accused Fine Gael members of a deafening silence when the new route was proposed by Cllrs Keena and Kieran Molloy. "It now amuses me to read where certain FG Councillors have taken up the baton and are pushing for this bridge to happen when in fact their silence was deafening at the time of route selection. It was called 'sitting on the fence'," he concluded.