Another attempt to overturn a section of active travel plans at Ballyraine in Letterkenny was outvoted in a meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District this week.
Local Fianna Fáil councillors sought to call for a halt to active travel plans to narrow the road from the Ballyraine roundabout to the Polestar, despite it receiving Part 8 approval last week.
Councillor Donal Coyle said that there is “no way” the active travel scheme can go ahead and add a two-way cycle facility to the road. This will reduce a section of the N56 outside the Mount Errigal Hotel to two lanes.
The Fianna Fáil councillor lodged a motion calling on the council to initiate a compulsory purchase order to buy lands to construct a slip road from Ballyraine onto the N56 Four Lane at the Polestar Roundabout.
“It would take a lot of the traffic going into the Polestar, it would give them the freedom to go left,” Cllr Coyle said.
“Especially now, the lights at the Polestar are working very well, but the backlog of traffic from the Ramelton Road goes back now not just on busy weekends, it’s every morning and evening, and the whole day. Sometimes the line of traffic is going back as far as the Glebe.”
Cllr Coyle said he believed that the CPO would not be a major expense, commenting that not much land will be needed.
“A slip road would make it a lot easier to have a good active travel plan in that part of town,” he said.
Cllr Coyle called on Senior Roads Engineer David McElwaine to “make a strong case to the TII on behalf of the council,” adding that “it’s a necessity, and the benefit would be seen immediately.”
In seconding the motion, Cllr Coyle’s party colleague Cllr Liam Blaney said that the new active travel project planned for the area is “only going to make things a lot worse”.
The current two lane road from Ballyraine towards Polestar Roundabout. Photo: Donegal Daily
Cllr Blaney amended the motion to request that the active travel plans for this area not go ahead.
He was then advised by the executive that the entire project could be at risk if the council asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to withdraw a section of the project.
“I don’t think we can overturn it,” said outgoing Mayor Gerry McMonagle, pointing out that there may be a way to push for the slipway without impacting the active travel scheme.
“Let’s not lose all that’s going to happen with active travel for 50-60 metres of a lane.”
Cllr McMonagle tabled a counter motion against Cllr Coyle’s, requesting the Letterkenny-Milford MD uphold the Part 8 approval as previously agreed by the majority of the council.
The counter motion was passed by six votes to three, with Cllrs Michael McBride, Declan Meehan, Jimmy Kavanagh, Pauric McGarvey, Gerry McMonagle and Tomas Sean Devine voting to support the Part 8. Fianna Fáil councillors Donal Coyle, Liam Blaney and Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly voted against the counter-motion, while Cllr Ciaran Brogan was not present.
Following the debate, Cllr Coyle was told that the Donegal National Roads Office continues to discuss the proposed slipway as a potential project with TII and has requested associated funding.
The next part of the N56 Letterkenny Urban Active Travel project will also provide signalised junctions at the Ballyraine Halls Roundabout and the Creamery Roundabout. The lights will cover key areas where motorists experience congestion travelling to/from the Ramelton Road (R245) and the Business Park area.
An allocation of €1.58 million was received for the Active Travel Scheme in N56 Letterkenny Urban this year.
The tender process for this project is currently being finalised, with works to begin before the end of the year.
In a separate motion, Councillor Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly asked the council to carry out improvement works between Ballyraine roundabout and the old Creamery roundabout to improve the appearance of the area before the Donegal International Rally.
Cllr Kelly commented that the area is an “eyesore” after site clearing works were carried out last year in advance of the active travel scheme. In that time, the areas have become overgrown with shrubs and weeds.
“With the amount of visitors we are going to have in the next week to 10 days, there’s one thing that I don’t want to see is crowds coming in and looking at weeds growing up,” said Cllr Kelly.
