Clanree 'won’t continue to be in existence' if Letterkenny traffic issues remain

The reopening of a bridge in Letterkenny is vital to the survival of Letterkenny's Clanree Hotel, its general manager has said.

Cllr Micheál Naughton of Fianna Fáil said both a short and long-term solution is needed in regard to the small bridge behind the hotel on Bonagee, which has been closed for two months now following Storm Éowyn.

He says a fix would cost in the region of €250,000 and €300,000 and was at a loss as to why the bridge was not part of the Non-national Road Bridge Strengthening Programme.

“I’m wearing a different hat when I speak on it,” Naughton said at the Donegal County Council March Plenary Council Meeting in Lifford. “When I spoke to the council on it, there seemed to be a serious lack of urgency. They’re telling me it will cost to do temporary measures and then they’re saying it’s not viable to do temporary measures. There’s no application and the solution now is to leave the road closed.

“If that continues to happen we won’t continue to be in existence as a business. That’s the reality of the situation. The four-lane has already had a serious impact as anyone coming out of Letterkenny can’t cross into the Clanree. And if you go out towards that roundabout, you’re not coming back.

“This road has got 10 times busier since the four-lane and I can't imagine what the busy weekend will be like, like the rally. Even the gardaí use it.

“When will it be open? We can’t give people a date and that’s unacceptable. We will do the temporary measure on it ourselves, to get the road opened. Us, ourselves.

“The road has to be opened. That’s only minor infrastructual work, so that needs to be applied for as a matter of urgency. I’m committed to doing the temporary work here but there’s a big job that needs to be done here as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Ciaran Brogan, also of Fianna Fáil, suggested that emergency funding should be sought.

READ NEXT: Dead dog wrapped in carpet and thrown into west Donegal clothing bank

“I spoke at the MD about the bridge at Bonagee, and I don’t see it on the list,” he said. “It’s very busy, used by a lot of people on the Leck Road.

“So I think we need to address this as a matter of urgency since the four-lane works have been completed. I can't understand it’s not because we’ll need to get emergency funds.”

Sinn Féin’s Noel Jordan explained his understanding of the situation and said Donegal’s appeals are falling on deaf ears.

“The problem and the reality of this is that we get €50,000 into each municipal district,” he said of the allocations.

“We’ve brought this to then Minster [for Transport Darragh O'Brien] and the Minster before that and the Minster before that. The reality is that they need to start listening to us up there. We just don’t get enough funding for it. We’re just not getting the money from them. We’ll be in the same boat next year.”