Buncrana motorists in for a bumpier ride at the Mill Bridge
Donegal County Council installs new speed ramps at both ends of the bridge, with the one-way traffic system remaining in place.
Motorists using Buncrana’s Mill Bridge are set for a bumpier journey after Donegal County Council installed speed bumps at both ends of the bridge this afternoon, marking the latest development in the ongoing changes to the crossing.
The new speed ramps have been installed on the outer sections of the bridge and are intended to reduce the speed of vehicles entering and exiting the crossing in both directions.
The latest addition comes less than two months after the roadway was closed for five days in September between the Gransha Road junction and Millbrae junction, while strengthening and pedestrian safety works were carried out.
During the closure, the controversial temporary water-filled barriers which had been in place on the bridge for more than a year were removed and replaced with an extended footpath.
However, the removal of the barriers did not mean a return to the two-way traffic system which had been in place for decades.
The existing one-way traffic arrangement remains in operation, meaning the bridge will continue to function as a single-carriageway route until the proposed Inner Relief Road is constructed.
The Inner Relief Road has been discussed for almost 60 years and is widely regarded as the long-term answer to the traffic pressures facing the town.
Under the expected future arrangement, once the Inner Relief Road is built, a dedicated footbridge is expected to be constructed on the outside of the existing Mill Bridge. Until that alternative infrastructure is delivered, however, the road will remain subject to the current one-way arrangement.
The temporary barriers and one-way system were introduced by Donegal County Council as a relatively low-cost measure to improve pedestrian safety.
While the arrangements have provided greater protection for people walking across the bridge, they have also generated considerable frustration among motorists, with queues, delays and restricted traffic movements becoming an increasingly familiar sight.
The installation of the speed bumps represents the latest change to the bridge in less than two years, following the strengthening and pedestrian safety works in September, with the one-way traffic system and wider restrictions remaining in place.
For businesses, commuters, residents and visitors using the route, the latest changes are another reminder that Buncrana is still waiting for a long-term solution to its traffic problems at the Mill Bridge.