Roads Service to Invest £5.1Million in Omagh District Council Area

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy announced a £5.1million investment for the Omagh Council area this year.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s meeting between Roads Service and Omagh District Council, the Minister said: “Work on the A5 Western Key Transport Corridor continues to make rapid progress. Since the announcement of the preferred corridor in November 2008, four possible routes were exhibited at public consultation days held in February 2009. I expect to announce the preferred route in the summer this year.

“Design work on a number of carriageway improvement schemes on the A32 Omagh to Enniskillen Road is also progressing well. A scheme to realign and widen the carriageway at Sidaire is currently well advanced and work could commence later this year if land acquisition is successful.

“It is also proposed to hold a public consultation event for the A32 Shannaragh realignment scheme on 28 May 2009 at Drumlish Primary School.”

Mr Murphy welcomed the road maintenance schemes progressed in the Omagh area last year. He said this year’s increased allocation for structural maintenance would allow a larger number of resurfacing schemes to proceed on local roads this financial year.

Road Service’s Divisional Roads Manager Pat Doherty welcomed the planned investment in local transport and safety measures in the Omagh Council area, which includes traffic calming, collision remedial, pedestrian measures, cycling measures and safer routes to schools.

He said “Schemes which will be taken forward in the Omagh Council Area this year include a system to improve the efficiency of the traffic signals at Great Northern Road / Tamlaght Road junction, provision of new footways at Old Clanabogan Road, Cavancaw and Tullyneil Road, Sixmilecross, a bridge replacement at Ballinamullan Bridge, Killyclogher and traffic calming in the Queens Parade, Edinburgh Park and McClay Park areas of Omagh. Other schemes which will be carried out this year include the resurfacing of the A5 at Lislimnaghan and at Killynure along with the completion of the road realignment on the A32 Omagh to Dromore road at Mullaghbane and road realignment on the Whitebridge Road."

Roads Service has also been in consultation with local government representatives on matters arising from the Review of Public Administration. These included the details of functions to be transferred to local government in 2011 and the arrangements to allow the new councils to influence roads programmes.

Mr Doherty highlighted some of the schemes already completed in 2008/09. These included: resurfacing of the A5 at the Mellon Country Inn; A505 at An Creagan and Hawkes’ Crescent ; A32 at Clanabogan, Glenlark Bridge replacement at Gortin; junction alterations at the Lack Road / Dooish Road junction at Miniburns, road realignment at Dromore Road, Fintona; traffic calming in Killyclogher and the introduction of a zebra crossing at Church Street, Omagh.

Notes to Editors:

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