Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this project. It remains a key Government commitment to extend the greenway from Athlone to Galway city. The Galway to Dublin cycleway will be Ireland’s first ever dedicated inter-city segregated route for cyclists and walkers and an iconic cycleway of international appeal. The 106 km greenway from Maynooth to Athlone town is complete and fully open. The greenway follows the towpath of the Royal Canal to Mullingar and along the old rail trail between Mullingar and Athlone. A new active travel bridge spanning the River Shannon in Athlone was opened in 2023.

The Athlone to Galway city scheme was originally paused in 2015. It recommenced in 2019 with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, acting as the approving authority and Westmeath County Council acting as the lead local authority for the scheme. In December 2019, RPS Consulting Engineers was appointed to provide engineering, planning, environmental and other services for phases 0 to 4 as part of an overall defined eight-stage process set out in the TII’s project management guidelines. A preferred route corridor was finalised and published in March 2023. This proposed a 205 km route starting near Ballyloughane beach to the east of Galway city and then proceeding close to, or through, the following settlement areas: Oranmore, Rinville, Clarinbridge, Kilcolgan, Kinvara, Gort, Woodford, Portumna, Clonfert, Ballinasloe, Shannonbridge, and Athlone Castle. It links urban centres, places of interest, established tourism centres and outdoor amenities.

With regard to the Senator’s specific query regarding the status of the project of the Galway to Athlone cycleway and the target finish date, I have been provided with the following summary: this project is currently at phase 3, namely, design and environmental evaluation. In September 2023, the contract with RPS Consulting Engineers was suspended as RPS advised that the fixed price tender sum for the contract, as signed in 2019, was no longer financially viable for the company. A mutual termination agreement was signed in December 2023. During the suspension period, the project was effectively on hold. During the period in which the project was paused, the relevant local authorities and TII reviewed the approach being taken to deliver this project. It is now proposed to retender the technical consultancy services for phase 3, design and environmental evaluation, and phase 4, statutory processes, as two separate schemes due to the complexity of the preferred route and environmental issues, the scale of the 205 km preferred route and the availability of technical and environmental resources to deliver the scheme as one project. The project will therefore be divided into two sections. Scheme 1 will be 83 km long connecting connect Portumna to Athlone with a link to Ballinasloe and will be delivered by Westmeath County Council. Scheme 2, which will be 114 km, will connect Portumna to Ballyloughane Beach and will be delivered by Galway County Council. A project recovery plan is under way, and it is envisaged that the technical consultancy services contract will be advertised in quarter 3 2024 with contractors appointed for both sections in quarter 4 2024. The termination of the contract has resulted in an estimated delay of 12 months to the delivery of this project.