Five new speed camera zones in Athlone

Five new speed camera zones have come into effect in the greater Athlone area.

They include an extension of the controversial policy of using speed cameras on the N6 Athlone dual carriageway.

Local district court judge Seamus Hughes has strongly criticised the 20km per hour reduction in speed limit which comes into effect when motorists move from the M6 motorway onto the Athlone dual carriageway.

This has led to a high rate of speeding prosecutions in the area. Now, under new measures, an additional speed camera zone will be in operation on the N6, on the Roscommon side of the Athlone bypass bridge.

The existing speed camera zone on the N6 in Athlone, between Creggan and Clonbrusk, will also remain in place.

An expansion of speed cameras - officially called safety cameras - will see 355 new zones being added nationally.

Five of these are in the Athlone area:

- The M6 motorway outside Moate, between junction six and seven.

- The N6 Athlone dual carriageway, on the Roscoomon side of the bypass bridge. This zone extends through to the M6 motorway as far as Mehanbee, Drum.

- From Grace Road/Accommodation Road in Athlone to Baylough

- Monksland-Bealnamulla Road, from Alkermes to Cloonakilla NS.

- Roscommon Road, from just beyond Ganly's Hardware to just beyond St Brigid's GAA club in Kiltoom.

The speed camera zones can be viewed on the Garda website - www.garda.ie