Public to get say on £60m Buncrana Road widening plans

The Department for Infrastructure is holding a public information event on Tuesday next, May 8 from 11am to 9pm in Da Vinci’s Hotel, Culmore Road, Derry and is inviting the public and interested bodies to attend.

The public exhibition will display and summarise the work carried out to date on Derry and Donegal’s busiest cross-border route.

It will also provide details of the emerging design, and outline the next steps in the development of the scheme.

The Department for Infrastructure team and their consulting partners, Arup, will be available to discuss any aspects of the scheme.

The A2 Buncrana Road is a key link in the North West, which serves as the main corridor from the city centre to significant industrial and residential areas, as well as a link to County Donegal.

The Department said: “The proposed road improvement scheme will assist the economic regeneration of the city and surroundings and will help facilitate future development.

“The aims of the proposed scheme are to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion and support the use of more sustainable transport modes.”

A Preferred Route for the scheme was announced back in 2009 but was not progressed due to lack of funding.

In December 2016 the then Minister for the Department, Chris Hazzard, announced a stimulus package and funding was made available to recommence scheme development with a view to taking it forward to publication of draft statutory orders and Environmental Statement.

Given the time lapse since the announcement of the Preferred Route, the Department has undertaken new traffic and environmental surveys and reviewed the design in line with current standards and policy. This work has resulted in a revised road layout and junction improvements strategy which reflect current road design standards and environmental requirements.

The public can also make representations by letter, email or via the Department’s website. Contact details are available at: www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/contacts/dfi-roads-western-division-divisional-managerAfter the public information day, landowners affected by the scheme will be visited over the coming months to discuss the impact of the proposal on their property.

Subject to satisfactory completion of the statutory processes the Department is aiming to publish the draft Statutory Orders and Environmental Statement in 2021.

Delivery of the new road scheme will be dependent on the successful completion of the statutory processes and the future availability of finance.