Council to meet with delegation of Carrickobrien residents regarding road closure

Council officials will meet privately with a deputation of residents from the Carrickobrien and Golden Island areas tomorrow morning (Friday) to discuss the planning of the closure of the Carrickobrien road.

This follows a public meeting which took place this morning (Thursday) with a large number of local residents gathering outside Diskin's Athlone opposite Aldi in Golden Island to campaign against the closure of the road.

The Carrickobrien road is set to close completely from Monday, March 4 for a six-week duration to facilitate work by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on the Athlone flood defence scheme at the River Al. The road closure will result in a lengthy diversion to get into town, via Clonbonny and onto the old Dublin Road at the Michael Moore Car Sales junction, for residents living in Golden Island and Carrickobrien.

Speaking to residents at today's meeting, the Acting Director of Services for Westmeath County Council Ambrose Clarke said that he was aware of the long trips being made by local residents and that he had driven the new route himself and that he understood the difficulty that there is.

Mr Clarke added that he had spoken to the engineers involved in finding a solution and that the road closure was the “best possible solution to get the work done as quickly as possible.” He said that the council would endeavour to keep the closure to a minimum.

Mr Clarke explained that pieces of various flood cells need to be completed and that the council examined different options but that they all involved closing the road for a long time.

However, it was agreed that residents would meet with council officials tomorrow, Friday, as part of further discussions.