Letterkenny Active Travel Plans suspension would 'throw a lifeline'

Cllr Brogan introduced the motion to suspend the works planned for the Ballyraine Road to Tesco roundabout and the circular road works from the hospital roundabout to the top of Glencar at the Letterkenny-Milford MD meeting.

“The Circular Road, for example, the works are proposed to start on the hospital roundabout up to the top of Glencar,” Cllr Brogan said. “The Windyhall Road works are going ahead, but there's a time frame for this to happen. The diggers are meant to be in the ground by the middle of next year; it has to be substantially completed by 2028.

“The Circular Road runs parallel with the Windyhall Road, and it would make no sense whatsoever to have road works on both roads. So it’s absolutely common sense to postpone the works on the Circular Road.

“I believe that as soon as the Windyhall Road is completed, it will be a hugely positive development for the traffic in that part of the town and take away so much traffic from Circular Road completely.

“The Ballyraine road, from the school as far as the bus station… I challenge anyone to go and see the works on the footpaths; there's plenty of room to cycle, but the capacity on that road is very limited, and I think we shouldn’t proceed with that as well because it provides a good travel alternative for people leaving the town as well.”

Cllr Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly backed Cllr Brogan’s motion to suspend the Active Travel plans works.

“There is a lot of common sense in what he is saying,” Cllr Kelly said. “I think this motion can, and will, throw a lifeline to the town. There are seven or eight motions here related to the traffic in Letterkenny. A bus service will not run in Letterkenny until we can achieve a solution to the traffic congestion.”’

Active travel plans in Letterkenny are undergoing major infrastructure upgrades, but they are currently facing significant public pushback due to local traffic gridlock.