A £19 million bypass around Donegal town which opened yesterday is expected to reduce traffic going through the town centre by up to 45 per cent. The bypass, which is 8.3 km long and includes eight bridges, is the biggest road project undertaken in Co Donegal. The single carriageway road circles the town linking the roads to Killybegs, Ballybofey and Ballyshannon.
In recent years, Donegal has suffered considerable traffic congestion, with motorists travelling from Sligo to Letterkenny or Derry often experiencing delays of 30 minutes or more. The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, performed the official opening yesterday morning and the road was opened to traffic some hours later. Mr Dempsey said the bypass would put an end to a "notorious bottle-neck" on the N15 national primary road and would also ease safety hazards, noise and emissions caused by traffic in the town. "The bypass will allow the people of the area to reclaim Donegal town," he added. The chairman of Donegal County Council, Mr Peter Kennedy, said the people of the area would be glad to see the bypass completed but told the Minister that funding was also urgently needed to upgrade the road to Killybegs.
Mr Dempsey said that road infrastructure in Donegal had to improve if the county was to reach its full potential and said the new National Development Plan, currently being finalised, would "show the seriousness with which the Government regards the importance of the national road infrastructure". The opening of the bypass was also welcomed by the regional director of IBEC in the north-west, Mr Brendan McGinty, who said he hoped it would "free Donegal town of its almost constant traffic jam brought about by the funnelling of all north-bound traffic through the scenic town".
A silent protest was staged by residents of a Sligo housing estate as the Minister opened the road. The Cartron Bay residents group protested that Mr Dempsey had turned down its request for a meeting over the condition of its estate, which has been at the centre of a 20-year legal battle between Sligo Corporation and the developer.
Protesters held placards reading "Celtic Tiger lost in Cartron Bay craters". The developer left the estate unfinished more than 20 years ago.