Four lanes becomes two as Railway Field row rumbles on

The pivotal four-lane Railway Field Road put forward as the cure for all of Athlone"s traffic ills looks set to be reduced to a two-lane stretch through a quarter of an acre of Bus Éireann lands, it"s been revealed this week. The news means motorists using the planned road will move from a four-lane section to a two-lane bottleneck and back to another four-lane section as they travel from St Vincent"s Hospital to the Crescent junction. The proposal will spark fears of a bottleneck in the small two-lane stretch. The latest development comes in the wake of a press statement from the council issued on Monday which stated that a resolution to the impasse was in sight within the next two months. However, the Westmeath Independent can now reveal that the proposed solution does not entail four lanes for the entire length of the road. The €8 million four-lane stretch had been seen by council officials as an integral part of traffic management in Athlone in the future. Angry councillors had rounded on CIE last week, accusing them of being to blame for the failure of the controversial one-way system, which was officially reversed yesterday (Tuesday) The four-lane road was originally due to be in place prior to the opening of Athlone Towncentre a year ago, but collapsed when it emerged that CIE was exempt from a proposed compulsory purchase order. With no agreement in sight to secure CIE lands needed for the project, the local authority moved to upgrade the Crescent roundabout instead. Now in the latest twist in the road saga a spokesperson for Bus Éireann explained to the Westmeath Independent that negiotations on the Railway Field road project were progressing 'positively' based on an interim two-lane solution that would mean the bus garage could continue operating on the present site. PR Manager Andrew McLindon said the proposal would result in the loss of parking spaces at the garage and additional spaces would have to be found, with compensation for these losses forming part of the negiotations with the local authority. 'We hope negiotations can be completed as soon as possible for the interim two-lane solution. We want to make sure to conclude the negiotations with the best outcome for both sides. The four-lane proposal would leave the garage inoperable', he concluded. The spokesman would not be drawn on whether land could be secured to convert the stretch to four lanes in the future if the issue of the bus garage was resolved, save to say that would be a matter for discussion at a later stage with the Council. Athlone Town Clerk John Walsh admitted that the road would be two lanes for a very 'limited section' widening out to a four lane road for the remainder of the section. However he denied that this would be a 'permanent solution'. Mr Walsh added he was hopeful the positive negiotations would be concluded shortly and if circumstances changed in the future, the stretch could be upgraded to four lanes. If and when a deal is struck between the two sides contract documents are expected to be prepared for the road project and the development will then go out to tender. Earlier this week Mayor of Athlone Egbert Moran came out publicly to reveal that he was confident of a positive outcome to the Railway Field Road saga within two months following discussions last week with Transport Minister Noel Dempsey. 'The delay in completing the road was pivotal to the recent council decision to reverse the one-way system and it was in this context that a meeting with the Minister was sought,' he said at Monday"s Council meeting The meeting was attended by Mayor Moran, County Manager Danny McLoughlin, Chariman of CIE John Lynch, Chief Executive of Bus Éireann Tim Hayes and the Minister"s advisors in this area. Mayor Moran said the meeting was extremely positive with both parties given ample opportunity to express their views. 'I believe that there is now a clear consensus that this strategic road must be facilitated and that it is in everyone"s interests, including the CIE Group,' he said.