Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has again confirmed that the Government has not made any funding provision for the N56 Letterkenny Relief Road or Bonagee Link.
Senator Mac Lochlainn had called on the Minister for Transport, Shane Ross and the Government to amend the Government’s 2016- 2021 Capital Plan to include the badly needed relief road.
The Sinn Féin Senator said: “Minister Shane Ross has again confirmed that no provision has been made to fund the N56 Letterkenny Relief Road or Bonagee Link over the next number of years.
I have asked him to amend the Government’s Capital Plan for 2016- 2021to correct this really disappointing decision. Minister Ross has advised that the Minister for Public Expenditure, Pascal Donohue is bringing forward the Capital Plan review and this provides some hope that we can get this badly needed relief road back on the agenda.
“My colleague Cllr Gerry McMonagle advises me that the Donegal County Council delegation that met with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) late last year received a favourable hearing when they raised the need to fund this relief road.
“This also provides some hope for progress.
“If the government are serious about the economic development of Donegal, growing Letterkenny into a city and growing the Letterkenny/ Derry Gateway region, then this relief road is key to that vision.
“Constant traffic gridlock and poor public transport alternatives is no pathway to investment and growth”.