Infamous Garrycastle Bridge Athlone

veryangryman

Lads - when are the politicians gonna get the finger out and get this thing replaced with a proper bridge? Since the n6 has been realligned, nobody (e.ge HGVs and buses) use Kilmartins route to get round the bridge anymore Only a matter of time before someone gets run over on the bridge

Is there any word/timeline of progress on this? It p1sses off anyone (half the towns industry/students) who has to use it every morning

_feedback_

veryangryman wrote: »

Lads - when are the politicians gonna get the finger out and get this thing replaced with a proper bridge? Since the n6 has been realligned, nobody (e.ge HGVs and buses) use Kilmartins route to get round the bridge anymore Only a matter of time before someone gets run over on the bridge

Is there any word/timeline of progress on this? It p1sses off anyone (half the towns industry/students) who has to use it every morning

It's fairly brutal alright ... They seem to be doing some work there over the past couple of days, is that part of any proper movement to do something with it maybe? It should be like the Arc De Triumphe in Paris, where no insurance company will back you if you have an accident on it!!

Occidental

It's due to happen this year, with a new bridge on the Mount Temple side and a roundabout on either end. Tenders should be up on the European Journal/EGov sites shortly. Bizzarely, the main hold up was an objection from Irish Rail, who of course use the line for the regular service between Athlone and Mullingar and Galway services to Connolly.

veryangryman

Yes many is the day that i and my pals would walk along that track and see ten million trains on it back in the day.

I just fear that the funding for the project might be scaled down due to the poor economy we find ourselves in. The town needs this as bad as the Moate bypass in my opinion. Its all good and well getting to/from Dublin fast, but having to contend with the pothole obstacle course/bottleneck that is Garrycastle Bridge is completeley undesirable for the average Joe Worker in the town. I (and many others) hope your info is correct and that the plan is going to come to fruition.

Occidental

After a quick chat with WCC it turns out that design and construction tenders out shortly and with the blessing of the government, actual construction in 2009. They reckon €4m+.

Saint_Mel

I think also there is still hassle with the actual route of the new bridge
as it cuts through some residents gardens and at least 1 will have to
be re-housed as it goes right through his gaff.

veryangryman

All ill say is, pay the man off. If necessary, give him half a mill. That was part of the reason why the new SC was delayed. Cos some gob wouldnt sell up.

The money spent on removing said man would be made back with the extra people moving to the town due to improved infrastructure.

Cmon Athlone - to quote Charlie Haughey when talking about contraception......"this has been on the long finger for too long"

Black_Knight

That bridge scared the bee-jeasus outa me when i first started driving. A T-junction but its on a corner, very tight bridge with buses and all sorts on it, hill starting on it.
I thought I seen plans for a new bridge years ago (marked out in the field beside it) but that never came to anything as yet.
Hopefully something new gets put in place soon, tis badly needed.

Saint_Mel

From what I can tell the new road/bridge will run right through the
1st house as you turn into Garrycastle, and cut across the back
gardens of a few of the next houses down.

Black_Knight

Saint_Mel wrote: »

From what I can tell the new road/bridge will run right through the
1st house as you turn into Garrycastle, and cut across the back
gardens of a few of the next houses down.

Kids, go out into the garden and play with the traffic!

Saint_Mel

Also, from what I can remember there will also be issues with other roads,
For example: if coming from Retreat/Hillcourt direction you will be able to go
over the current bridge and to the Spar, but if you want to go on to
Cornamaddy or the bypass after that you'll have to head back from the shop,
take a left over the bridge, past Cypress Gardens and the college, turn left
on to the Dublin Rd., after the Innovation Centre take a new left turn onto the
new road/bridge and drive straight up and past the shop and on to the
flyover.

So on top of rehousing people and paying compo for gardens, they may have
to pay compo to the Spar as they might loose business due to the new route.

I dont think it'll be possible to go into the shop off the flyover without going past it,
down to the Dublin Rd and doubling back up by Cypress Gardens etc.

Similar, I'm not sure if people coming out of Garrycastle will have to take that
longer route to go to the shop across the road from them.

All in all theres more to it than just sticking a new road in there.

veryangryman

Couldnt Mr Spar not use this opportunity to make the shop bigger? Perhaps into a Eurospar? Or better yet, build a new car park etc?

It took World War 2 for some of the old eyesores in Belfast to be replaced. Maybe the short-term lost business might lead them there to think about building on their business. Many a potential customer doesnt go into the store because of the problem getting in and out of the current car park. You play Russian Roulette reversing out if theres a van or lorry parked beside you :eek:

Saint_Mel

veryangryman wrote: »

Couldnt Mr Spar not use this opportunity to make the shop bigger? Perhaps into a Eurospar? Or better yet, build a new car park etc?

It took World War 2 for some of the old eyesores in Belfast to be replaced. Maybe the short-term lost business might lead them there to think about building on their business. Many a potential customer doesnt go into the store because of the problem getting in and out of the current car park. You play Russian Roulette reversing out if theres a van or lorry parked beside you :eek:

True on the parking, it can be a nightmare at lunch time, but theres no
point in making the shop bigger if the new road restrictions might make
less customers! It'd be less hassle to go to Kilmartina and straight on
to the dual carraigeway then go to the spar and double back past it again.

Again, not sure if thats the exact plan, just something I heard.

veryangryman

Guess the plan is being shelved...

Stupid recession. And stupider politicians for not fixing this during the money years :mad:

charlieIRL

its a long time since the proposals were on display in the civic centre, must be shelved alright. :mad:

roosterman71

I read in the advertiser last week that its going to be done this year. Dunno the plans etc, but it seems like it will be sorted.

http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/8251

€17 million for road maintenance in Westmeath
Athlone Advertiser, February 06, 2009.
By Triona Doherty

Over €17 million has been allocated to Westmeath County Council by the Department of the Environment for the maintenance and improvement of the county’s roads in 2009.

The largest chunk of the funding has been set aside for link roads around Mullingar. A total of €6 million has been earmarked for works on the Clonmore Link Road, Mullingar, while the construction stage of the Robinstown Link Road from the Delvin Road to the Castlepollard Road roundabout is to benefit from funding of €1 million.

Funding of €1.5 million is to go towards improvements to roads in three separate locations: €600,000 for Garrycastle Bridge, Athlone; €400,000 for the Clara/ Camagh Link Road at Kilbeggan; and €500,000 for the R390 at Walderstown.

In addition, almost €8.5 million has been allotted for maintenance, restoration, and safety improvements on the county’s roads.

‘Low cost safety improvement’ measures are to be carried out in a number of locations. These include a zebra crossing on the R394 at Castlepollard, junction warning signs at Clencarra Cross, improved signage and road markings at Lismacaffrey Cross, and junction stagger at Rathcolman Cross.

Footpath repairs are to be carried out throughout Mullingar, with Dominick Street and Austin Friars Street to receive the lion’s share of €80,000 and €45,333 respectively.

Bishopsgate Street, Dalton Park, and Valley Bungalows are to benefit from €20,000 each towards work on footpaths, while funding has also been allocated for a number of other areas in the town.

Athlone Town Council is to receive a special grant of €362,000 for carriageway and footpath repairs, in addition to a block grant of €219,000.

Does €600k buy a new bridge??

veryangryman

Improvement to the road around it i would guess. with perhaps provision for widening(?)

Not sure how much they can get done with that money. A simple ban on trucks and buses would be a very cheap and effective solution to the problems there.

But this is Ireland...

BTW The excuse that there has been no accidents there doesnt fly. There was none in Maynooth either before they banned the fkrs. Make the pricks use the bypass i say

Onikage

I have toyed with the idea of popping a height restriction barrier up on it...

The cheap solution of course is just to fill in the cutting and lay a road over it! after all there are no plans to reopen the railway line in the near future! :rolleyes:

flazio

Are there enough viable alternative routes for the bridge to be pedestrian only and the Spar road cul de saced? e.g. Kilmartin exit off the bypass instead of Garrycastle exit if you are aiming for AIT, or would the strain be too much @ rush hours?

roosterman71

The Kilmartin roundabout is a disaster during rush hour (in the mornings anyway). The traffic from the new motorway come back down the old bit of the bypass and then park on the roundabout trying to get into town. The Birr road then is completely backed up because the traffic can't get onto the roundabout, even if they wanted to head for the by-pass.

Since the motorway opened, I thing the delays on the old N6 are worse during the morning, and Kilmartins is equally as bad. So I don't think forcing the Cavan/Ballymahon traffic down that way too is going to make things better.

_feedback_

Some guys talking notes at each end of the bridge yesterday at lunchtime - must be an indication that there is something happening !

radioactiveman

Is there any news on what will happen to the bridge now?
Is the money they had last year still there?!!!

Seaneh

Deleted User wrote: »

The cheap solution of course is just to fill in the cutting and lay a road over it! after all there are no plans to reopen the railway line in the near future! :rolleyes:

Extremely short sighted and pointless idea.

Just ban HGV traffic from the road, force them to use the main roads.

molloyjazz

Seaneh wrote: »

Extremely short sighted and pointless idea.

Just ban HGV traffic from the road, force them to use the main roads.

why would what he suggested ban HGV's?

Seaneh

Seaneh wrote: »

Extremely short sighted and pointless idea.

Just ban HGV traffic from the road, force them to use the main roads.

There's nothing to stop them reinstating the railway bridge if the line is ever reopened, just fill in the railway cutting between the old bridge and the location of the possible replacement bridge.

A low cost solution that doesn't jeopardize the future provision of a new bridge over a reinstated rail link.

roosterman71

I see in the Westmeath independentm today that the new bridge has been delayed because the design doesn't allow for trains to pass underneath. Its on the 1st page of the paper

roosterman71

roosterman71 wrote: »

I see in the Westmeath independentm today that the new bridge has been delayed because the design doesn't allow for trains to pass underneath. Its on the 1st page of the paper

Only in Ireland! :rolleyes:

veryangryman

What trains now? Sake any chance of that line being reopened is gone now that we have decent roads. What the frick like

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

What trains now? Sake any chance of that line being reopened is gone now that we have decent roads. What the frick like

As I said the other day, the best all round option is to fill in the cutting at a point that allows for the future construction of a bridge if they ever plan to open the line!