N55 - Athlone to Ballymahon [preferred route published; complete before 2032]

marno21

http://www.longfordleader.ie/news/home/275459/new-ballymahon-to-athlone-route-sparks-fears-of-center-parcs-headache.html

Looks like the N55 realignment between Ballymahon and the Pigeons has been scrapped in favour of a full new route from Ballymahon to Athone.

This will be pushed given the new Centre Parcs place in Ballymahon.

SeanW

Good thing something is being done with this road. Has some awful sections. Ballykeeran in particular is a kip. No offense to the Ballykeeraners, but a steep drop into the town, a 90 degree bend and then a steep ascent?

JupiterKid

Good to hear. The N55 from Athlone to Edgeworthstown in particular is an atrocious section of road.

Is the Centre Parcs proposal for Ballymahon actually going ahead? I had heard of its announcement but nothing since.

Truckermal

JupiterKid wrote: »

Good to hear. The N55 from Athlone to Edgeworthstown in particular is an atrocious section of road.

Is the Centre Parcs proposal for Ballymahon actually going ahead? I had heard of its announcement but nothing since.

Ya work is started on it!

road_high

Good, this road is like a rollercoaster coming out of Athlone. The angle dips are incredible for a national road.

Middle Man

road_high wrote: »

Good, this road is like a rollercoaster coming out of Athlone. The angle dips are incredible for a national road.

Not only that but with our changing demographic situation, we need to consider re-designating some National Secondary Roads as National Primary given the strategic importance of some. Examples would include the N52 (Belfast to Limerick (N33)), N54/N55 (Belfast to Galway (N12)), N61 (Athlone to Sligo (N34)), N62 (Cork to Athlone (N35)) etc.

roadmaster

http://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/10/18/4147371-have-your-say-on-new-athlone-to-ballymahon-road/

I Don't know if this is the original public consultation or another one

elperello

road_high wrote: »

Good, this road is like a rollercoaster coming out of Athlone. The angle dips are incredible for a national road.

You are right but I'll miss that car park at the top of the hill.
Great view over the Inner Lakes and out to Lough Ree.
One of the best inland views in Ireland.

SeanW

What stage is this plan at - it's supposed to be done by 2020?

road_high

elperello wrote: »

You are right but I'll miss that car park at the top of the hill.
Great view over the Inner Lakes and out to Lough Ree.
One of the best inland views in Ireland.

The pace infrastructure moves at in this country, it'll be a while before you'll be missing the car park!

whyulittle

Allow up to 6 years according to this!

http://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/longford/full-upgrade-n55-ballymahon-athlone-take-six-years/

elperello

whyulittle wrote: »

Allow up to 6 years according to this!

http://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/longford/full-upgrade-n55-ballymahon-athlone-take-six-years/

Sure we'll all have to go into Glasson anyway to charge up our electric gizmos by then!

D Trent

I bet this doesn't even incorporate a bypass of Ballymahon which is a load of shlte

elperello

And a couple of more jobs that wouldn't cost much would be -

1-The right turn outside Ballymahon where you leave the Lanesborough road towards Keenagh.
2- The sharp left about a mile further on towards Keenagh.

JupiterKid

Surely a planning prerequisite for the CenterParcs development would be that the local roads that will serve the complex are upgraded?

This is putting the cart before the horse. CenterParcs are very large facilities that draw in a lot of people. How will the N55 and other local roads cope?

L1011

JupiterKid wrote: »

Surely a planning prerequisite for the CenterParcs development would be that the local roads that will serve the complex are upgraded?

This is putting the cart before the horse. CenterParcs are very large facilities that draw in a lot of people. How will the N55 and other local roads cope?

They really don't generate that much traffic at all. Workers arrive very much staggered traffic wise; guests arrive over an entire day.

The infrastructure needs of Centreparcs were gone in to in detail - hence the gas line.

Med101007

Can anyone tell me where exactly the Center Parcs development is taking place? Is the site located on the Athlone side of Ballymahon? I need to visit the site offices tomorrow and I don't really know the area that well.

D Trent

Med101007 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me where exactly the Center Parcs development is taking place? Is the site located on the Athlone side of Ballymahon? I need to visit the site offices tomorrow and I don't really know the area that well.

It'll be on your Right hand side if your coming from Mullingar approaching Ballymahon.
If your in Ballymahon, go past the Garda station on your left stay on that road it will be on your left before a sign post for Abbeyshrule, again this is the road to Mullingar

marno21

Public consultation ongoing on a new route between Athlone and Ballymahon.

http://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/longford/five-different-routes-identified-n55-realignment-athlone-ballymahon/

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/information-evening-n55-glasson/

roadmaster

N55 Public Consultation Extended

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/n55-public-consultation-extended/

marno21

roadmaster wrote: »

N55 Public Consultation Extended

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/n55-public-consultation-extended/

Good. Iron out any issues now rather than when it gets to An Bord Pleanala.

Anyone familiar with the area want to comment on the project so far?

tullyhumphry

I live very close to Route B and it looks like it will be one of the preferred options. As part of the submission process we have been asked to propose the best alternative route if we don't believe the one affecting us is suitable. Many of the residents living along the existing N55 (Ballykeeran, Glasson, Tubberclaire and Tang) have chosen Route B as the best alternative as it will mean they will be living on/ beside a nice quiet local road in the future. I was told a number of farmers on Route B have already been approached regarding CPO but this could just be a rumour.

medoc

Hopefully on track to announce the preferred route soon.

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/westmeath-council-not-expecting-delay-choosing-n55-route/

veryangryman

N61 (Athlone to Sligo (N34)), N62 (Cork to Athlone (N35)) etc.
I think it should go one further and reassign parts of each road. 
N61 should only be made primary from Athlone to Roscommon (as its a star junction of sorts for other secondary routes)  The routes from there on not so much. Those going to Sligo (outside of Athlone to Sligo traffic, not much) would use the N4 or N17, both of which with upgrades planned. Roscommon to Boyle, leave as secondary. Little to no traffic. Straighten out some bits but generally that's getting done already.
N62... Ah c'mon. Athlone to Cork can be achieved much safer and faster by going M6->N52->N80->M7->M8.  The N80 Tullamore to Portlaoise upgrade when done will copper fasten that (and back up the need for alot of  N52 to be primary). In fact when M20 is complete, you can get to Cork doing M6->M18->M20. Nobody should have to go near Birr and/or the bogs without actually wanting to go there in the first place.
Lets spend the pennies we get for Infrastructure wisely.

Bacchus

veryangryman wrote: »

N61 (Athlone to Sligo (N34)), N62 (Cork to Athlone (N35)) etc.
I think it should go one further and reassign parts of each road. 
N61 should only be made primary from Athlone to Roscommon (as its a star junction of sorts for other secondary routes)  The routes from there on not so much. Those going to Sligo (outside of Athlone to Sligo traffic, not much) would use the N4 or N17, both of which with upgrades planned. Roscommon to Boyle, leave as secondary. Little to no traffic. Straighten out some bits but generally that's getting done already.
N62... Ah c'mon. Athlone to Cork can be achieved much safer and faster by going M6->N52->N80->M7->M8.  The N80 Tullamore to Portlaoise upgrade when done will copper fasten that (and back up the need for alot of  N52 to be primary). In fact when M20 is complete, you can get to Cork doing M6->M18->M20. Nobody should have to go near Birr and/or the bogs without actually wanting to go there in the first place.
Lets spend the pennies we get for Infrastructure wisely.

The M6-M18-M20 would be a very nice alternative to M6->N52->N80->M7->M8 whenever it is complete (is there any sort of ETA for the M20?). What would that cut the journey down to? 2:30? The M6->N52->N80->M7->M8 route hovers around the 2:45 mark depending if there's light traffic on the N52 and N80.

Selfishly though, I'm in east Cork so an upgrade of the N52 & N80 would be great, as going out towards Galway/Limerick would be swinging quite far west to go back east again in Cork.

The N62 is a horrible road to go on though and I would have thought it was a busy link connecting Athlone to Birr, Nenagh, Thurles, Limerick.

roadmaster

Does anyone know what option the locals are more in favor off?

Bacchus

roadmaster wrote: »

Does anyone know what option the locals are more in favor off?

I've only heard the opinions of a few locals but... B I think, taking it wide of Glasson

marno21

Public consultation planned later this month .. https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/home/346255/public-meeting-to-consider-ballymahon-to-athlone-routes.html

marno21

Public consultation on preferred route tomorrow

https://www.longfordleader.ie/news/home/426623/public-consultation-on-preferred-route-for-n55-athlone-to-ballymahon-road-realignment.html

medoc

The preferred route has been announced today.

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/new-route-for-n55-upgrade-is-revealed/

https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/06/26/4176134-preferred-route-for-new-n/

Aontachtoir

medoc wrote: »

The preferred route has been announced today.
https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/06/26/4176134-preferred-route-for-new-n/

Project Engineer in Westmeath National Roads Office, Ann Marie Corroon, said that the timeframe for the project is “between eight and thirteen years”...