New road to take 10,000 cars per day from gridlocked towns

It"s estimated up to 30 minutes could be shaved off the journey between Dublin and Galway with the opening today (Wednesday) of the long-awaited N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone dual carriageway project. Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will cut the ribbon on the €280 million project today at 1.30pm, which stretches some 29 kilometres. Linked into phase one of the project from Kinnegad to Kilbeggan, it provides almost 57 kilometres of top class roads heading west. It"s expected the road will take 10,000 vehicles per dayaway from gridlocked towns along the route. Beginning at the N52 south of Kilbeggan, the project runs south of the existing N6 before crossing to the north of the N6 at Farnagh and connecting to the Athlone Relief Road. It opens to traffic ahead of the September schedule and on budget. Kilbeggan, Horseleap and Moate are all bypassed with the opening of the development, removing a number of bottlenecks, most notably Moate, where delays of up to an hour were regular features at weekends and busy periods like bank holidays. 'The opening of this scheme is hugely significant in the development of the key east-west axis from Galway to Dublin, one of Ireland"s premier business and tourism arteries. The completion of this 29km project means that motorists will now be able to travel all the way from Dublin to west of Athlone on 114 km of continuous motorway or dual carriageway,' according to Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority. Within a few weeks the new road project will upgraded to full motorway status, a NRA spokesperson confirmed to the Westmeath Independent this week. The Department is currently going through the statutory procedures for this process and as each section of the new N6 dual carriageway is completed, it will be upgraded to motorway status. An NRA spokesman confirmed that the designation is expected to take effect for the Kilbeggan to Athlone stretch in two weeks time. There are also plans for service stop or station between Athlone and Moate as part of the project. Meanwhile, work has been underway on the next part of the project from Athlone to Ballinasloe since September. The 19 kilometre stretch is due for completion late next year. The final part of the east /west axis, 56 kilometres of dual carriageway/motorway is also under construction at present from the east of Ballinasloe to Galway and is due for completion by 2010, giving over 100 kilometres of motorway standard road from the capital to the west.