The regeneration of the Pennyburn and Buncrana Road areas of Derry are being “held up” as a result of the delay by the Department of Regional Development and Transport NI in upgrading the A2 Buncrana Road, it has been claimed.
Sinn Fein Councillor for the Greater Shantallow area, Cllr Tony Hasson, Councillor Hassan said tegeneration and development of the Fort George site, the Pennyburn and Springtown industrial estates, as well as the major H2 housing development, site would never be fully developed unless the busy thoroughfare was upgraded.
He said major developers and business people would not invest in the area unless it was upgraded into four lanes of traffic.
He added: “This a major arterial route connecting Derry with Donegal.
“The Buncrana Road is not capable of taking the volume of traffic that uses it on a daily basis from the roundabout at Pennyburn to Bridgend .
“The backlog of traffic that occurs on this road is a nightmare for motorists and pedestrians.
“Now we are being told that Transport NI. plan to re-surface the section of road from the Collon lights to the roundabout at the junctions of the Strand and Culmore Roads and the work is to start on Monday June 27 and is expected that it will take approximately eight weeks to complete.
“This type of patch work will not alleviate the congestion and backlog of traffic on the Buncrana Road Whilst I welcome any re-surfacing of roads in the city only a full upgrade will sort the problem on this road.
“Major road developments have taken place in this part of the city over the last number of years such as the Skeoge Road, Culmore Roundabout and the widening into four lanes of traffic at Madams Bank Road.”
Cll Hassan concluded: This only adds to the argument for the immediate upgrade that will also help solve the problems that face residents who live at the junctions of the Collon, Templegrove, Woodbrook, and Whitehouse park areas “.
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