N6 - Athlone, Garrycastle Bridge works to finally start in three months

http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/56731/garrycastle-bridge-works-to-finally-start-in-three-months
Construction on the realignment of Garrycastle Bridge is expected to start early next year after the council received formal approval for the project this week.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for the €6.1 million project, which is being referred to as “the missing link” in the town’s traffic management plan.
The contract for the work has been awarded to Jons Civil Engineering Ltd, the company behind the construction of the Joe Dolan Bridge in Mullingar. Work is to start within three months, and the project is expected to take 12 months to complete.
The R916 Garrycastle Bridge scheme is expected to cost in the region of €6.15m, including an estimated construction cost of €3m, and €3.15m for land acquisition, consultant fees, site investigation, and archaeological assessment. The NRA allocated €700,000 to the project in March this year, while the council has also allocated money over the past number of years.
Director of services Hugh O’Reilly said the plans for the construction of a new bridge at Garrycastle have been in the pipeline for almost 10 years.

Better late than never!

Chris_5339762

For the uninformed.... is this a third bridge for Athlone? (aside from the N6 and regular town bridge)

No, it's a bridge over a disused railway line on the east side of town, between the Bypass and the IDA site (not crossing the river).

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=map+athlone&ll=53.422704,-7.901565&spn=0.001036,0.00284&client=ubuntu&channel=fs&oe=utf-8&hnear=Athlone,+County+Westmeath,+Ireland&t=m&z=19

whyulittle

Large industrial estate and Ericsson in one direction, three secondary schools and a large residential area another direction, and AIT and IDA Business Park in the other.

flazio

Are they going to leave the area underneath passable for a train in case IE take the unlikely decision to reopen?

whyulittle

Yes, it was delayed as the previous design didn't leave enough room underneath.

antoobrien

Yusuf Uneven Babyhood wrote: »

No, it's a bridge over a disused railway line on the east side of town, between the Bypass and the IDA site (not crossing the river).

Does that line go to Mullingar?

roadmaster

It does via moate, theres talks about converting it in to a walkway between athlone and mullingar i heard on the radio a few weeks back

JupiterKid

roadmaster wrote: »

It does via moate, theres talks about converting it in to a walkway between athlone and mullingar i heard on the radio a few weeks back

I travelled on that line on an old steam train with my Dad, Grandfather and sister back around 1994.

veryangryman

roadmaster wrote: »

It does via moate, theres talks about converting it in to a walkway between athlone and mullingar i heard on the radio a few weeks back

A walkway? Honest to God what's the point. Who walks these crazy distances. What planet.....

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

A walkway? Honest to God what's the point. Who walks these crazy distances. What planet.....

Make more sense to turn it into a railway line as an alternative route from Galway to Dublin, relieve the pressure on Heuston station.

roadmaster

From what i remember of the report on the radio i think it was midlands 103 its part of an idea to link the three midland towns for tourists to walk/cycle

veryangryman

Yusuf Uneven Babyhood wrote: »

Make more sense to turn it into a railway line as an alternative route from Galway to Dublin, relieve the pressure on Heuston station.

Most chats on this topic mention the fact that connolly is already pretty over subscribed with dart commuter and so forth. That said I would actually consider the train if it brought me anywhere useful a la Connolly. As it is bus gets you to centre quicker and cheaper than train plus luas

veryangryman

roadmaster wrote: »

From what i remember of the report on the radio i think it was midlands 103 its part of an idea to link the three midland towns for tourists to walk/cycle

midlands radio 3 with their usual Neolithic thinking. Walk 40 miles?! In fairness....

Ren2k7

As someone who crosses this disaster of a bridge every day it's completion can't come soon enough. Any specs or images available?

roadmaster

If this job is to start as quick as they say has tenders gone out all ready?

flazio

veryangryman wrote: »

A walkway? Honest to God what's the point. Who walks these crazy distances. What planet.....

veryangryman wrote: »

midlands radio 3 with their usual Neolithic thinking. Walk 40 miles?! In fairness....

Take a look around the 'Outdoor pursuits' forum, there are plenty of long trails all around the country. The entire tow path of both the Grand and Royal Canal are marked trailways.

veryangryman

flazio wrote: »

Take a look around the 'Outdoor pursuits' forum, there are plenty of long trails all around the country. The entire tow path of both the Grand and Royal Canal are marked trailways.

Doing something repeatedly does not make it a good idea. Once again i must ask; who walks these distances? Very few i would say

funnyname

veryangryman wrote: »

Doing something repeatedly does not make it a good idea. Once again i must ask; who walks these distances? Very few i would say

Would it not benefit everyone at either end and all the people in between and those who would travel to walk in a safe scenic environment.

veryangryman

funnyname wrote: »

Would it not benefit everyone at either end and all the people in between and those who would travel to walk in a safe scenic environment.

Safe? Badly lit if at all rural trail. Scenic? Weeds etc everywhere. You market it well but this is the midlands of Ireland here. Perhaps spend the money on cycle lanes in athlone and mullingar. Much more practical

L1011

veryangryman wrote: »

Doing something repeatedly does not make it a good idea. Once again i must ask; who walks these distances? Very few i would say

(German mainly) tourists.

The few long distance trails that are cycleable are generally very popular all summer.

Well, whatever it becomes, they'll be a new bridge over it!

Zubeneschamali

flazio wrote: »

Are they going to leave the area underneath passable for a train in case IE take the unlikely decision to reopen?

If I recall correctly, they are leaving room for a double track underneath, even though it has been single track since 1928!

Planning docs here.

Zubeneschamali

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

If I recall correctly, they are leaving room for a double track underneath, even though it has been single track since 1928!

Planning docs here.

That appears to be a default position when designing railway infrastructure, all single rail lines have provision for a second track should the need arise.

Edit: A quick glance at the plans and it appears that the works are much more extensive than just the bridge.
Anyone using the garrycastle exit to get to the schools is going to have about half a mile added to their journey.

veryangryman

It's alive! Construction ongoing woop

flazio

The realignment in those plans look a bit excessive, if you look here you can draw a straight line from where the road turns at Fenagh House to the junction with Moydrum road. Surely a realignment that way would be far more cost effective?

roadmaster

veryangryman wrote: »

It's alive! Construction ongoing woop

who got the contact out of curiousness ?

whyulittle

roadmaster wrote: »

who got the contact out of curiousness ?

Jons - http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/56731

flazio

flazio wrote: »

The realignment in those plans look a bit excessive, if you look here you can draw a straight line from where the road turns at Fenagh House to the junction with Moydrum road. Surely a realignment that way would be far more cost effective?

It appears to be a deliberate attempt to prevent traffic from using the Cartonroy road as a short cut to the schools, otherwise it makes no sense to do it that way.

veryangryman

Anyone know a finish date for this? I imagine it will take a year or so

munchkin_utd

Yusuf Uneven Babyhood wrote: »

It appears to be a deliberate attempt to prevent traffic from using the Cartonroy road as a short cut to the schools, otherwise it makes no sense to do it that way.

it makes massive sense
a ) to upgrade the road with regards to the R916 being the primary route, rather than for local preferences to get to an estate or school or whatever
b ) to upgrade the route that links the north midlands to the Athlone IT, if not the rest of Ireland, from the N6 bypass to the facility over some local preferences that see a route to the shops or schools as more pressing.

From seeing it first hand last weekend its way worse than any google streetview would give the impression of. A very narrow bridge that 2 cars can barely pass on, followed by a blind 90 degree bend. It'd be interesting to see how a truck would attempt to negotiate the bend without causing utter traffic chaos.
Its actually the sort of stuff that the councils should have had in the drawer before the boom so that it could be carried out should "funds become available".
It doesnt look as if it will be finished anytime soon, but maybe someone with inside knowledge could enlighten us as to when this will actually be finished.