New pedestrian crossings planned for roads near Saunders Bridge junction

Two pedestrian crossings are to be installed near Saunders Bridge in Mullingar, as part of the Ardmore Road footbridge project, members of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad were assured after Cllr Bill Collentine tabled a motion at the district’s February meeting calling for provision of a crossing that would allow pedestrians access the Millmount Shopping Centre side of the road.

In reply, the Transportation Section confirmed that a new pedestrian crossing will be installed along the Millmount Road as part of the Ardmore Road footbridge project, and work is expected to be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The mayor, Cllr Mick Dollard, sought clarification on the precise location of the new crossing.

District engineer Pat Kavanagh explained that, in fact, two crossings will be installed. One will be located on the Ardmore Road to allow pedestrians walking along the south side to cross over to access the footbridge. The second crossing will be positioned near the apartment block on Millmount Road, enabling pedestrians coming off the footbridge to cross towards O’Driscoll’s and the shopping centre side.

Welcoming the update, Cllr Collentine described the location as “a very busy junction” where there are significant volumes of traffic.

“I think it’s great to see it being done and carried out,” he said.

Cllr Ken Glynn also supported the motion, noting that he had raised the issue on a number of occasions previously. He thanked district engineer Pat Kavanagh and the executive for progressing the works.

“It’s great to see that the work is ongoing,” he said, adding that he hoped the project would be completed within the next six or seven weeks.

Cllr Glynn said the crossing would make a significant difference for pedestrians, particularly in light of increasing traffic levels linked to new housing developments towards Newtown.

“With the new estates and houses further out in Newtown, traffic is only going to increase,” he said. “This is the start of a master plan for that section of road.”