Developers of the Galway to Athlone cycleway expect that a preferred route corridor will be identified before Christmas.

Five routes for the cycleway went out to public consultation over the last number of months and once a route has been chosen, further consultation with the public and landowners will be carried out.

We have six liaison officers working on the project, and we have met with many landowners that are receptive to the idea

Good progress is being made in terms of landowner engagement on the cycleway since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowed face-to-face meetings to recommence, a spokesperson for the project told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“We have six liaison officers working on the project, and we have met with many landowners that are receptive to the idea of the cycleway being on their lands.

“We have also met with some farmers that would prefer not to accommodate the cycleway, and we very much hope to be able to respect that preference.”

Those involved in the project have met with a number of State agencies, including Coillte, ESB, NPWS and the OPW, among others.

It’s good to see that farmers are willing to accommodate it

Landowner engagement will continue over the next number of months. Following this a preferred corridor will be selected, organisers said, where the project team can be confident that a route can be delivered with the consent and agreement of the large majority of landowners.

Connacht IFA chair Pat Murphy said farmers have the right to say no to the development.

“It’s good to see that farmers are willing to accommodate it, but the developers have to listen to the farmers that it’s going to effect and try and find the best route possible.

“We don’t want to see farmers cut off or their privacy being affected by this. If farmers say no, that has to be respected,” he said.