Ardmore Road gets largest share of council's Active Travel fund

Funding of €4m has been provided to Westmeath County Council this year for Active Travel projects, but difficulties recruiting staff are slowing up progress, members of Westmeath County Council were advised at their April meeting.

The largest allocation is for the Ardmore Road, Mullingar, footpath and cycleway at €1.7m with another €770,000 for the Saunders Bridge project.

Presenting details of the projects to benefit, head of finance, Jimmy Dalton, acknowledged that active travel projects have been slow to get going and difficulties in recruiting staff for the Active Travel team is holding them back.

There is a push on to recruit, but it is slow, he said.

Work at junctions

Nine junctions that are deemed collision prone locations on regional and local roads are to receive funding this year as part of a €315,000 low cost safety improvement scheme by Westmeath County Council. The areas that are being prioritised were detailed at the monthly meeting of the council.

They are: Ballinea junction and outside Castlepollard Garda Station, €100,000 each; Ardnagrath and Aghanashanmore, Mount Temple, €30k each; Ballagh Bridge, Cullion, Mullingar, €20k; the R444 junction with the R446 to the county boundary in Moate, €8k; the R436 junction with the R446 to the county boundary, €7k; Oliver Plunkett NS, Moate, €5k.