The proposal stems from the town’s layout, which positions several schools along the Monasterevin Road, leaving students and families to navigate long, circuitous routes.
There have been calls for a pedestrian footbridge over the River Barrow on the Monasterevin Road to improve connectivity for school students, locals and tourists.
The proposal stems from the town’s layout, which positions several schools along the Monasterevin Road, leaving students and families to navigate long, circuitous routes through busy roads to access various facilities, including the public swimming pool at K Leisure.
Community members argue that a simple footbridge over the river would provide safe and direct access, especially for young children, cutting down on travel time and easing congestion in the town’s centre.
"With a footbridge, schoolchildren and residents could safely cross the river, sparing them from lengthy, traffic-heavy routes. This bridge would make a huge difference," a local resident said.
Adding urgency to the proposal, Athy’s summertime triathlon draws thousands of visitors to the town, who congregate around the town square and frequently navigate to the river’s banks for events.
Residents believe that a footbridge would improve the experience for both locals and tourists, allowing them to easily cross the river and enjoy nearby areas without adding to the town’s congestion.
Responding to the growing demand, Kildare South TD Martin Heydon said a footbridge over the River Barrow was part of the Kildare County Council's local area plan but was removed to facilitate planning for the southern distributor road.
He said the advice was to revisit the footbridge project once the distributor road was completed.
However, residents are wondering if talk of a footbridge is still just an aspiration.
Also weighing in, Cllr Brian Dooley said as part of the Local Area Plan 2021-2027, there are two provisions for pedestrian and cycling bridges over the River Barrow.
He said the Plan is a framework for development in the town and that calls for a footbridge are "not aspirational" unless councillors remove it from the plan in 2027.
He added that a feasibility study will have to be carried out, which he would like to see carried out in the next 12 months.
The results would then be presented to the public to determine possible amendments or objections.
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