Multi-million allocation for Westmeath roads

Westmeath has been given over €17 million in grants from the Department of the Environment as the budget for the maintenance and upgrading of existing routes across the county.Austin Friar Street. Dominick Street, Patrick Street, Valley Bungalows and Dalton Park were Mullingar"s biggest winners in the allocation with grants totalling over €190,000 for upgrade and repair works to roads and footpaths.Dominick Street is to have a facelift with the allocated €80,000 while Austin Friar Street has been allocated over €45,000 for the coming year.In total Mullingar will receive €366,000 for upgrades and repairs. Castlepollard and Lismacaffrey were also allocated large sums taking €95,000 and €125,000 respectively from the pot.Monies in these areas will be used mostly on road safety measures such as zebra crossing and traffic lights.The Clonmore Link Road and the Robinstown Link Road, which stretches from the Delvin Road to the Castlepollard roundabout, were awarded €6 million and €1 million respectively taking the biggest piece of the multi-million euro pie. It is hoped that the works at Robinstown will complete plans for the area and make it more attractive to prospective investors.There was good news on the maintenance front as Westmeath County Council received almost €2 million in restoration and maintenance grants for roads across the county.Westmeath has already received its share of the National Roads Authority (NRA) fund of €70 million which has also been announced. The allotted monies however include works already completed such as the by passes at Kilbeggan, Mullingar and Belvedere leaving just €265,000 for works in the coming year.Regional sign posting has also received €250,000 from the Local Roads Grant scheme and along with the €366,000 for Mullingar Westmeath County Council has been granted a further €107,000 for urgent remedial repair works across the county under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).Other notable grants included the Clara/Camagh Road at Kilbeggan, the R390 near Walderstown and the R916 at the Castlegarry Bridge received, €400,000, €500,000 and €600,000 respectively. under the Specific Improvement Grant scheme.This morning Fine Faíl Councillor Jim Bourke welcomed the provisions and said that in particular the monies granted for sign posting was welcomed as it would help to improve road safety across the county.'This is something that myself and my colleagues have been pushing for quite some time,' he said. 'I would also like to welcome the €1 million investment in the Robinstown Road which will open up the entire area for further development.'Mullingar will benefit greatly from this year"s allocation as ten areas are to get the minimum grant of €10,000 for foot path repairs.Bellview, McCurtain Street, Green Road, Chestnut Drive, Lynne Avenue, Newbrook, Clonmore Heights, St Anthony"s Cottages (right hand side), Great Oaks (to be finished) and St Brigid"s Terrace will all have repairs works started in the coming year.Beech Lawns, Beech Grove and O"Growney Terrace were allotted a sum of €12,000 to finished remedial works started last year.The Ballyglass (Co Hospital) roundabout is also to get €10,000 for repairs.Under the National Roads Authority (NRA) allocations Glasson village will get €10,000 for repairs works under the national secondary route scheme.Of the €70 million pay out announced by the NRA last week, €65 million has already been spent on the Kilbeggan/Athlone and Kilbeggan/Kinnegad by passes.A further €1.5 million has been accounted for by the Longford/Roosky route, €500,000 went to the Down"s (grade separation), €50,000 was spent on McNeads Bridge in Kinnegad, €140,000 on the Mullingar by-pass, €333,000 on the on the by-pass at Belvedere and €400,000 on the Carrick Bridge to Clonfad.A spokesman for the NRA said yesterday that the monies would be paid out in the coming weeks following the completion of inspection on the completed works.'The figure of €70 million does include works completed already but we cannot pay out money until we are sure that the work is of a required standard,' he said,When the sums to be paid for completed work is subtracted a total of €255,000 will be available from the NRA, financed by the Department of Transport, for the coming year.A sum of €245,000 will be available for repair work and €10,000 will go to Glasson.