Work to pedestrianise Athlone street set to start next Tuesday

A major permanent change to traffic flow in the centre of Athlone is due to begin on Tuesday next, October 31, when work to pedestrianise part of Sean Costello Street gets underway.

In an update today (Friday) on the ongoing streetscape work in the centre of Athlone, the council confirmed next Tuesday as the date when traffic is to be closed permanently between Dunnes Stores/Flannery's pub and the former Ulster Bank premises on Mardyke Street.

A multi-million euro streetscape revamp in the centre of town has been taking place since March, and previously resulted in Mardyke Street being shut to traffic for just over six months.

The project is now moving into a new phase as the 90-metre section of Sean Costello Street, which was once part of the main road between Dublin and Galway, is being redeveloped for pedestrian access only.

The streetscape work is due to be 'paused' in early December in order to limit any disruption to pre-Christmas trade in the town.

Sean Costello Street will remain open to pedestrians throughout the project but the traffic closure on the street will be permanent and will not be lifted during the pre-Christmas 'pause'.

A completion date of next February, for the project as a whole, was previously targeted but that has now slipped to April or May, according to Dermot Killeen, Senior Executive Engineer with Westmeath County Council's regeneration team.

"The council is satisfied with overall progress, especially given the poor weather this year, and the project is due to be completed early in the second quarter of 2024," said Mr Killeen.