A new active travel scheme has officially opened in County Longford, marking the delivery of a €3.5 million investment.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sean Canney, was in attendance to open the Battery Road Pedestrian and Cycle Scheme, which was constructed by Noel Regan and Sons (Plant Hire) Ltd and designed by Kilgallen and Partners Consulting Engineers.

The scheme includes 1.3km of dedicated cycling infrastructure along the R198 Battery Road, featuring Ireland's first coloured cast-in-situ separator kerb and comprehensive traffic calming measures.

The project connects Longford town centre to the N4 Axis Centre via a 700-metre stretch from McDonald's Roundabout to St Alban's entrance. The scheme received complete funding through the Active Travel Programme and National Transport Authority.

Minister Canney said: "Today's section represents another important step towards developing the town network. When completed, this network will be an exemplar for others, with learnings that can be replicated through other projects in the county and beyond."

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The scheme incorporates several pioneering elements:

• Ireland's first coloured separator kerb system;

• Construction of 1.3km of new 2-metre-wide red macadam cycle tracks;

• Junction priority crossings at key residential entrances;

• New signal-controlled junction at Lisbrack;

• Construction of a right turning lanes at the entrances to Abbeycartron and Demense;

• Construction of pedestrian crossing points at various locations along the R198 Battery Road; 

• Comprehensive streetscape improvements including underground ESB networks;

• Enhanced public lighting and landscaping;

• Traffic calming effect through narrowing of the carriageway and re apportioning street space to vulnerable road users.

The scheme also indicates the completion of the third phase in the county's ambitious Pathfinder project, which focuses on reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector, by enabling the shift to cleaner transport choices. 

The Pathfinder Programme progress includes: Major's Well Road scheme (completed early 2023); N63 Ballinalee Road scheme (completed May 2024); Battery Road scheme (completed June 2025); Aghafad pedestrian and cycle scheme (construction Q3 2025); N63 Farranyoogan Pedestrian and cycle schemes (Construction 2026); Incorporation of two new TFI (Transport for Ireland) shared bus stop landing zones into the scheme.

Additional schemes are progressing through preliminary design phases for Lower Battery Road, Church Street and Templemichael, including a planned pedestrian bridge to Longford Mall.