Athlone residents express anger at opening of road through estate

Residents of Canal Walk in Athlone are expressing frustration that their residential estate is now being used for through traffic.

The through road, which restores a direct link between Clonown to Athlone, was introduced through the estate by contractors working on behalf of Uisce Éireann as part of the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme, in conjunction with engineers from Westmeath County Council and Roscommon County Council.

Works as part of the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme had resulted in a closure of the Clonown Road in front of the Canal Walk estate. The road had initially due to reopen last week, but the closure period was recently extended to the end of August.

The extended closure had sparked anger among residents of the Clonown area who have been forced, as a result, to take lengthy journeys to and from the town of Athlone. The works had also blocked vehicular access to the entrance to the Canal Walk estate. In 2018/19 when floods cut off access to the main entrance and exit, a second exit from the estate was created by removing a section of wall facing the Millbank estate, and whilst that was blocked up after the floods it was reopened during the current ongoing Main Drainage Scheme works to enable residents of Canal Walk to access and exit the estate.

However, on Tuesday last, access to the main entrance was restored, enabling through traffic to use the estate road.

A number of temporary speed ramps have been installed as part of the plan, which was devised on foot of representations by councillors in the Athlone Municipal District of Roscommon and by Roscommon council staff to Westmeath County Council.

Westmeath County Council wrote to local Athlone councillors last week to state that “having regard to the inconvenience caused by this extension to residents of Clonown and following on from negotiations with the Main Drainage contractor, a revision has being made to the traffic management plan which will allow residents of the Clonown area use the Canal Walk residential road to access Athlone.”

The council said the new traffic management plan would be “monitored for effectiveness and safety when it becomes operational and may be subject to amendment, with the safety of the residents of Canal Walk being the primary concern”.

Residents in the area are unhappy though, both with the lack of consultation and with the safety implications of traffic being channelled through their estate.

Tom Evans, a Canal Walk resident, said Westmeath County Council had not asked for their views, and they were made aware by contractors implementing the change.

“We have been ignored and discriminated against,” he said, stating that the estate road was now being used by tractors and other large vehicles. He said the second entrance had been opened opposite Millbank solely to permit Canal Walk residents access and exit the estate during the main drainage scheme works.

Linda Redmond, another resident, said locals felt their views didn't matter.

She said a number of residents with young families were now reluctant to allow their children play on the green areas of the estate.

Linda said the road was now being used by delivery vans, taxis, and tractors

She also queried why there was the necessity for such a major change, if the Clonown Road is to be reopened in August.

“We are so fed up, first there was the road closure in front of the estate, and now this is the icing on the cake,” she said.