A cross-party delegation of Donegal County Councillors has presented a submission to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) requesting funding for key projects on the N56 in Donegal.
The report seeks funding for infrastructure upgrade works on critical pieces of roadway in 2019.
Two new projects included in the submission are the Dungloe to Cloghbolie stretch and Letterilly to Kilraine. Funding was also requested to complete works on existing projects at Coolboy to Kilmacrennan and Mountcharles to Inver.
Donegal Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher Leas Cheann Comhairle, who attended the meeting, commended the council’s ‘comprehensive and detailed’ submission to TII.
He said: “I am fully supportive of the submission being made for the entire infrastructural needs for the county, it is essential we continue to invest heavily in our roads network and some of our larger projects within the county – such as Lifford to Letterkenny N14, the Bonagee Link Road Letterkenny, Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass along with the Ballybofey to Lifford N15 road and the final phase of the Inver to Killybegs N56 road urgently need to be progressed.”
“These critical pieces of roadway are essential for the future development of the county and as such must be prioritised by TII and the Government as part of the strategist investment plan,” Pat the Cope said.
Pat the Cope highlighted that priority projects in the county must be given due attention ahead of Brexit.
He said: “I will be intensely lobbying the Department on the run-up to the final allocation which will be made by the Minister in consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
“It is imperative that we front load funding to a lot of these projects in anticipation of any consequences of Brexit, it is now that we must plan to remove any infrastructural bottlenecks or disadvantages in order that we can easily and without hassle access our markets.
“In my submission to the TII I requested that they consider upgrading the Pettigo to Laghey road, Kilraine to Frosses road and the Ballybofey to Cross road, as these three roads will be very significant in a Brexit context for the county.
“It is in that context that delegations such as today’s are critically important for the county and I wish to compliment Donegal County Council in conjunction with the NRDO office Donegal Town who prepared the brief and for thekir excellent work they carried out in preparing the submission,” concluded Pat the Cope.
