Mullingar - Athlone Greenway progress?

bovis

Great to see the interest in the royal canal. The RCAG (Royal Canal Amenity Group) is soon launching a site for the entire Greenway. It will be updated regularly with route status and list businesses along the route. It will be maintained my volunteers and aims to promote the canal as a world class amenity. I just wanted to mention it here and if anyone is interested in helping promote the excellent royal canal let me know.

https://royalcanalgreenway.ie/home/currentstatus/route-info/

P.s. I am one of the volunteers and I will be taking a cycle on the upgraded section between Enfield and hill of down today. I will update the page above with a status report.

nice_guy80 wrote: »

you can cycle on a bike all the way
just a road bike with narrow wheels isn't always suitable

budgemook

bovis wrote: »

Great to see the interest in the royal canal. The RCAG (Royal Canal Amenity Group) is soon launching a site for the entire Greenway. It will be updated regularly with route status and list businesses along the route. It will be maintained my volunteers and aims to promote the canal as a world class amenity. I just wanted to mention it here and if anyone is interested in helping promote the excellent royal canal let me know.

https://royalcanalgreenway.ie/home/currentstatus/route-info/

P.s. I am one of the volunteers and I will be taking a cycle on the upgraded section between Enfield and hill of down today. I will update the page above with a status report.

Great to hear that Enfield to Hill of down is upgraded, that was just grass until recently was it? Been a while since I went down from Dublin so can't remember exactly where the bad bits are.

Grew up beside the canal, always loved it and always will.

bovis

Moyvalley to 'hill of down' and further on to westmeath border is nearly complete. The surface is down but the signage says that it's still under construction which I guess is for insurance purposes as there are still some hazards that aren't properly fenced off. Its a lovely section that is at a height over the surrounding landscape and has some lovely sloping bends. It will be an amazing Greenway when completed.

budgemook wrote: »

Great to hear that Enfield to Hill of down is upgraded, that was just grass until recently was it? Been a while since I went down from Dublin so can't remember exactly where the bad bits are.

Grew up beside the canal, always loved it and always will.

budgemook

bovis wrote: »

Moyvalley to 'hill of down' and further on to westmeath border is nearly complete. The surface is down but the signage says that it's still under construction which I guess is for insurance purposes as there are still some hazards that aren't properly fenced off. Its a lovely section that is at a height over the surrounding landscape and has some lovely sloping bends. It will be an amazing Greenway when completed.

Class. I was worried that work had stopped due to funding or farmers protests etc. I think I'll plan in a cycle to Mullingar in the spring to check out the progress

bovis

Fortunately farmers protest won't stop any progress on the royal canal because it's all in state ownership. Just to note. When I passed through Enfield today the section there wasnt done. But I know that they were working on the section between ferans lock and just east of Enfield last month.

budgemook wrote: »

Class. I was worried that work had stopped due to funding or farmers protests etc. I think I'll plan in a cycle to Mullingar in the spring to check out the progress

flazio

Is there anything being done about crossing the old N4 (Moyvalley?) as a walker, I was surprised to see signage telling me to be careful crossing the wide main road.

flazio

Meant to post sooner but, over the bank holiday I did a spin from Abbeyshrule to Ballymahon and back. It all looked well and it was a pleasant little cycle. My only concern is a couple of bridges where you either have to cycle under them, which you can do but if you meet someone walking the other way there's a good chance someone is ending up in the drink, if you have a bell use it here. Or you have to go up to the road and cross traffic. One of these bridges is the main road between Athlone and Cavan so some pretty fast moving traffic to cross.
Great to hear it's going to run right up to Dublin but if I may just remain within the confines of this forum and say how wonderful it is that it's possible to cycle the entire width of Westmeath from east to west in two different directions (towards Athlone or Abbeyshrule) and not have to deal with much motor traffic.

kildarecommuter

flazio wrote: »

Meant to post sooner but, over the bank holiday I did a spin from Abbeyshrule to Ballymahon and back. It all looked well and it was a pleasant little cycle. My only concern is a couple of bridges where you either have to cycle under them, which you can do but if you meet someone walking the other way there's a good chance someone is ending up in the drink, if you have a bell use it here. Or you have to go up to the road and cross traffic. One of these bridges is the main road between Athlone and Cavan so some pretty fast moving traffic to cross.
Great to hear it's going to run right up to Dublin but if I may just remain within the confines of this forum and say how wonderful it is that it's possible to cycle the entire width of Westmeath from east to west in two different directions (towards Athlone or Abbeyshrule) and not have to deal with much motor traffic.

Westmeath County Council seem to be ahead of their neighbours in fairness to them.

flazio

Digging up this thread as work is underway past the white gates.

L.Jenkins

When did that begin? Must tidy up the bike again.

budgemook

This is to bring it beyond Athlone, is it?

veryangryman

budgemook wrote: »

This is to bring it beyond Athlone, is it?

No. Dunnes montree it will end at.

Beyond that, a bridge is planned followed by arguments with crusties to get an acceptable route through the hellhole that is county roscommon.

nice_guy80

veryangryman wrote: »

No. Dunnes montree it will end at.

Beyond that, a bridge is planned followed by arguments with crusties to get an acceptable route through the hellhole that is county roscommon.

Roscommon has no canal or empty railway line to continue the cycle path.
most likely, it will just go alongside the old Athlone - Ballinasloe main road.

Zubeneschamali

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Roscommon has no canal or empty railway line to continue the cycle path.
most likely, it will just go alongside the old Athlone - Ballinasloe main road.

No, they already have a route south to Shannonbridge and then up the old canal to Ballinasloe.



It is Ballinasloe to Galway that is the problem.

nice_guy80

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

No, they already have a route south to Shannonbridge and then up the old canal to Ballinasloe.



It is Ballinasloe to Galway that is the problem.

so you'll have to cross into Galway at shannonbridge and then up the canal?
that'll need another bridge so, as the only bridge there is a bog railway bridge

Zubeneschamali

nice_guy80 wrote: »

so you'll have to cross into Galway at shannonbridge and then up the canal?
that'll need another bridge so, as the only bridge there is a bog railway bridge

I seem to remember them saying they could cantilever a greenway bridge off that bog railway one.


Or maybe they can just use the bog railway one since BnM is going out of that business.

flazio

nice_guy80 wrote: »

so you'll have to cross into Galway at shannonbridge and then up the canal?
that'll need another bridge so, as the only bridge there is a bog railway bridge

Shannon harbour between Shannonbridge and Banagher is where the Grand Canal crossed over to the Ballinasloe home stretch. Mostly through Bord na Mona bogs.

nice_guy80

flazio wrote: »

Shannon harbour between Shannonbridge and Banagher is where the Grand Canal crossed over to the Ballinasloe home stretch. Mostly through Bord na Mona bogs.

Ok. But that's on the Offaly side
Then you'd need another bridge over the Shannon

Mearings

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Ok. But that's on the Offaly side
Then you'd need another bridge over the Shannon

Another bridge? No problem. Ask Westmeath County Council, they propose to build a bridge next to the Athlone Town bridge, ignoring the wishes of the local Rates/Property Tax payers.

nice_guy80

Mearings wrote: »

Another bridge? No problem. Ask Westmeath County Council, they propose to build a bridge next to the Athlone Town bridge, ignoring the wishes of the local Rates/Property Tax payers.

the bridge is not a safe place for pedestrians or cyclists

Zubeneschamali

Mearings wrote: »

Ask Westmeath County Council, they propose to build a bridge next to the Athlone Town bridge, ignoring the wishes of the local Rates/Property Tax payers.

I am a local property tax payer and I approve of this bridge and/or greenway.


There is an old school of business owner in Athlone who oppose every development, no matter what. They want to keep running their 1970s shop as if it was the 1970s, and any development might force them to spend money to keep up.

I says

Have been a regular user of the walkway both as a cyclist and also out for walks with the family.
The amount of gob****es who think it’s acceptable to let their dogs of the leash on it need a good boot up in the hole for themselves.
Dog fouling getting to be a problem between Moate and streamstown.

veryangryman

Locals are idiots anywhere you go when it comes to strategic infrastructure.

Opposing the 1 way because "Thurs nowhur tuh purk muh corr". And now the cycle bridge too because it blocks the view. Similar morons tried gave out about loopline bridge in Dublin as it blocked view of Customs House.

In the words of Dylan Moran... "Do you know why it's local? Cos its shytte" :pac:

Subcomandante Marcos

The location chosen for the new bridge is actually idiocy. It makes no sense.
It would have far more sense to put it further north, the other side of the white bridge and instead of routing traffic under an unnecessary tunnel costing an insane amount of money they could have routed traffic through beech park and assumption road to Wansboro Field and put a bridge from there to the other side of the river and linked up a large park with the walk way that runs on the western side of the river, and then carry on south to the castle upgrading the existing pathway on the river front.

But joined up thinking isn't really a thing here.

Mearings

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

The location chosen for the new bridge is actually idiocy. It makes no sense.
It would have far more sense to put it further north, the other side of the white bridge and instead of routing traffic under an unnecessary tunnel costing an insane amount of money they could have routed traffic through beech park and assumption road to Wansboro Field and put a bridge from there to the other side of the river and linked up a large park with the walk way that runs on the western side of the river, and then carry on south to the castle upgrading the existing pathway on the river front.

But joined up thinking isn't really a thing here.

Unlike the proposed Salmon Weir pedestrian bridge in Galway the Athlone art gallery bridge is of no benefit to local pedestrians.

Of course if it were built as suggested above it would be a marvelous amenity particularly for the huge population to the north of the railway line.


https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/new-pedestrian-bridge-next-to-salmon-weir-bridge-secures-e7-million-backing/

Subcomandante Marcos

Mearings wrote: »

Unlike the proposed Salmon Weir pedestrian bridge in Galway the Athlone art gallery bridge is of no benefit to local pedestrians.

Of course if it were built as suggested above it would be a marvelous amenity particularly for the huge population to the north of the railway line.


https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/new-pedestrian-bridge-next-to-salmon-weir-bridge-secures-e7-million-backing/

Yeah that bridge in Galway is 100% necessary, the footpath on the existing bridge should be removed completely and the roadway widened so busses can actually get on and off the bridge without having to stop traffic.

veryangryman

There is some "joined up thinking" in the literal sense. 2 factors.

1) The location chosen is one of the narrowest bridging points. Most town's bridges are built with this in mind when bridges over river are being planned.

2) There is no plan agreed yet for what to do with the route after the bridge due to crusty objections on Roscommon side. Boxer especially sees an election imminent and needs something local and recent to show for his time in office when next election comes.


By the way, i do agree with the southern route idea, but the bridge itself would be on a wider gap so wouldnt fly.

veryangryman

veryangryman wrote: »

There is some "joined up thinking" in the literal sense. 2 factors.

1) The location chosen is one of the narrowest bridging points. Most town's bridges are built with this in mind when bridges over river are being planned.

2) There is no plan agreed yet for what to do with the route after the bridge due to crusty objections on Roscommon side. Boxer especially sees an election imminent and needs something local and recent to show for his time in office when next election comes.


By the way, i do agree with the southern route idea, but the bridge itself would be on a wider gap so wouldnt fly.

Mounting the footbridge on the existing railway bridge would be the most sensible option, far cheaper and in the right place.

Subcomandante Marcos

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Mounting the footbridge on the existing railway bridge would be the most sensible option, far cheaper and in the right place.

It's awkward to get it back down to road level. Unless you mean keeping it lower but mounting to the existing pillars, or having a long gradual slope down from say marine view across?

Subcomandante Marcos

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

It's awkward to get it back down to road level. Unless you mean keeping it lower but mounting to the existing pillars, or having a long gradual slope down from say marine view across?

I was thinking the path could go west on the northern side of the bridge (the same side as the (former) Mullingar line) then cross the river and road on the west side then loop clockwise over the road again and then slope south down to the riverside path. The greenway then follows the entire railway alignment to the bridge before using its own bridge tied to the existing railway bridge then does a 270 deg turn to the right before facing south on the west side of the river.



Cheap and easy to engineer.