Transport plan crucial to A2 Buncrana Road widening pushed back to summer 2025

Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd was asked about the ‘long-awaited and long-overdue dualling of the A2 Buncrana Road’ by Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan.

"Not only are the delays there causing traffic problems in the area but potential road safety interventions along the route have been put off and put off because the dualling of the road has been imminent for nearly 50 years,” said the SDLP infrastructure spokesperson.

Mr. O'Dowd replied: “The future delivery of that project rests with the local transport plan. We hope to be in a position to launch a consultation on the Derry City and Strabane District Council transport plan early next summer: I believe that the date is set for that.

“That will then fit into how we strategically move traffic in and around that area and how we deal with the traffic, given, for example, the increasing numbers of students at the Magee campus.

"It is an important consultation and plan, and I have no doubt that the Member will be able to respond to them in due course.”

The major road widening project between Pennyburn and the border was paused in 2023 to allow for the completion of the NWTP.

Back in April Mr. O’Dowd had suggested a public consultation on plan would take after its scheduled publication in winter 2024/25, however, this had now been put back until next summer.

Consultation on transport plan crucial to Buncrana Road widening to take place in May