Naming of Athlone’s new bridge to be considered by councillors

The official naming of Athlone's new cycleway bridge is due to be considered by local councillors in the months ahead.

With the core of the bridge now in place ahead of its planned opening next Easter, the question of what name might be attached to the new structure is becoming more topical.

The Westmeath Independent asked the council whether a formal naming process for the bridge was planned, and if there would be any scope for the public to make suggestions regarding the bridge's name.

In response, a council spokesperson said, "This will be considered in consultation with the elected members over the coming months."

At the next meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, in early November, councillors are also due to receive an update on a €125,000 art commission planned for the cycleway.

Earlier this year, the council invited artists to submit proposals for between two and four "prominent" and "intriguing" public artworks along the cycleway between Streamstown and Athlone Castle.

The initiative went to tender in June as part of the 'per cent for art' scheme associated with the construction of the cycleway bridge over the Shannon.

Documents published as part of the tendering process indicated that the successful art pieces were due to have been selected in late July, with their installation pencilled in for January.

A council spokesperson said on Monday that councillors would be given a presentation about the art commission at next month's meeting of the municipal district.

Meanwhile, RTE's 'Morning Ireland' featured a report last week about the route selection process for the cycleway from Athlone to Galway, which is continuing to attract a mixture of support and opposition from landowners in rural Galway.

The report by Pat McGrath stated that a number of landowners in the Meelick area had ongoing concerns about the project.

One of those interviewed for the report, Gabriel Larkin, argued that a route on or alongside existing roads should have been chosen in order to limit the impact on private landowners.

"The concern at the moment is just the lack of understanding, and lack of facts I suppose, as to what's actually going to happen here."

Another landowner, Mary Bermingham in Kinvara, said she had given written permission for some of her land to be used for the cycleway development.

"You can look at the Great Western Greenway, that passes Mulranny, and all the enterprises and diversification that's popped up around it. These are jobs for people in rural (areas), where we know that farming is going to get more and more difficult," she commented.

Westmeath County Council official Michael Kelly, who is project manager for the Athlone to Galway cycleway, said work to finalise the route was continuing.

"Progress to date has been slow, but we're making good progress in some areas and there are some areas that are quite challenging," Mr Kelly told RTE.

"We're trying to work through those areas, with the various landowners, to see can we get a solution to complete the exercise and, hopefully by the end of this year, have a route chosen."