N56 Falcarragh to Gortahork Road Scheme - Public Consultaton 2

Closed15 Oct, 2024, 09:00 - 1 Nov, 2024, 16:30

N56 Falcarragh to Gortahork Road Scheme - Public Consultaton 2

 

Introduction

Donegal County Council (DCC) has proposed a new Road Scheme “N56 Falcarragh to Gortahork”. This scheme is approximately 3 km in length and is located between the townlands of Falcarragh and Gortahork. The scheme will include a walking and cycling facility and will extend from the western extent of Falcarragh to the northern extent of Gortahork.

This section of the N56 links Northwest Donegal to Letterkenny-Derry Northwest City Region, and to the strategic towns of Donegal, Ballyshannon and Bundoran. The N56 is as a key component in the settlement structure and growth in Donegal. The investment will maintain the pivotal role of the N56 in Donegal’s strategic road network.

The improvement upgrade will reduce social exclusion and enhance the accessibility of a low-income rural area, and provide an improved, safer means of transport to and between communities.

Need for the Scheme

  • The current road geometry is an un-engineered legacy road that is below national standards. Both road and verge width is below the minimum for national roads, which reduces road safety significantly.
  • In some sections, the road width is reduced below what is required to accommodate its current capacity (4,500 AADT).  
  • There are no facilities for pedestrians or cyclists.

Project Update

DCC appointed Fehily Timoney & Company / Clandillon Civil Consulting Joint Venture (FTC) as technical advisors to progress this project from consideration of Options, selection of a Preferred Route Option, advancement of the project through the Statutory Processes and develop the Detailed Design.

Following the identification of various constraints within an initial study area covering the Scheme environs, Public Consultation 01 was held over the course of two days (July 24th and 25th 2024) at the tSeanbhearaic, Falcarragh, and Óstán Loch Altan, Gortahork. The aim was to inform the public and other interested parties of the constraints identified that could affect the development of future options (including environmental issues, safety, local development needs and active travel needs) and to present preliminary route options to the public. Feedback from the public was reviewed by the project team and has helped inform the development of the project.

Since then, the project has progressed through Phase 2 Options Selection where a number of route options were identified for both the road and active travel infrastructure which were appraised as described below. From these options, an Emerging Preferred Route has been identified.

TII PMG Project Road Map

Since Public Consultation 01, the project has moved to the third and final stage of the Options Selection Phase: identifying the preferred option. The project is being progressed in accordance with Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s Project Management Guidelines.

                                                                      An Overview of Phase 2 Options Selection

Phase 2: Options Selection is a 3-stage process, as outlined below. This project is currently at Stage 3.

Phase 2 Options Selection

Stage 1 - Preliminary Options Assessment

Stage 2 – Project Appraisal Matrix

Stage 3 – Preferred Option

 

Stage 1 - Preliminary Options Assessment

Given the nature and scale of the scheme, Stage 1 (Preliminary Options Assessment) was appropriately condensed into a workshop process to refine a number of initial options down to three distinct options for detailed assessment at Stage 2. This process was cognisant of the identified constraints and the feedback received from Public Consultation 01 (24th, 25th July, 2024).

Stage 2 – Project Appraisal Matrix

Each of the five Route Options, identified in Stage 1 were subject to a detailed options assessment using a Project Appraisal Matrix comprising the following Transport Appraisal Framework criteria:

  • Economy               
  • Accessibility
  • Social Impact
  • Land Use Impact
  • Safety
  • Climate Change
  • Local Environmental Impact

 

This Stage 2 assessment resulted in the recommendation of an emerging preferred route option to be taken forward to Stage 3 – Preferred Option.

 

Stage 3 – Selection of Preferred Option

Stage 1 and Stage 2 are now complete, and a Preferred Route Corridor has been identified, as indicated below:

The identified Route Corridor is 300m wide, however this does not represent the actual width of the proposed road development or the lands to be acquired. The corridor simply indicates the lands within which a road alignment could feasibly be developed.

Public Consultation 02

Donegal County Council now invites the residents of the local area, members of the public and other interested parties to review and offer comments and views on the preferred option. Local participation in this consultation is welcome and the Design Team will consider any feedback and submissions received prior to finalising the selection of the overall preferred solution.

The proposed Preferred Route Option Public Consultation will be held on 16th October 2024, in the tSeanbhearaic, Falcarragh. All welcome to attend.

Your Feedback

If you would like to submit any comments on the proposed development, please complete this feedback form and return it by post to the freepost address or email address below by 01/11/2024

National Roads Office
Public Services Centre
Drumlonagher
Donegal Town
FREEPOST
Co. Donegal
F94 DK6C

or email to design@dnrdo.ie