A6: No timeframe given for completion of major road project

A 16-mile section of the £200m road project between Londonderry and Dungiven opened in April this year, but work remains between Drumahoe and Gransha

Road officials have said they cannot give a timeframe for remaining work to be completed on the A6 road project.

A 16-mile section of the road between Londonderry and Dungiven opened in April this year.

But Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) has heard the remaining work between Drumahoe and Gransha is dependent on a number of factors.

Councillors were told that completion of phase two is dependent on funding and future statutory consultations.

Work on the major road project started back in 2018 but has been beset by delays since work first started.

Phase two of the A6 Derry to Dungiven road project extends from Drumahoe to the A2 Caw roundabout.

That particular section of the road under phase two of the project is also being built near the Mobuoy dump site, Northern Ireland's biggest illegal dump.

More than a million tonnes of waste was illegally dumped at the Mobuoy site before it shut in 2013.

More than a million tonnes of waste was illegally dumped at the Mobuoy site before it shut in 2013

Divisional manager in the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) western division Daniel Healy spelt out the challenges at a recent council committee meeting.

Speaking to the special environment and regeneration committee, Mr Healy said A6 phase two work is still "a priority" for the department.

"Works are ongoing in the background but delivery of that particular part of the scheme will depend on a number of factors," he outlined.

"Including any statutory consultations that the department has to go through and future budgets.

"This particular scheme, the last estimate published was £200m, so as you can appreciate with budgets the way they are at the minute, we can't give any timeframe with regards delivery of the scheme."

In a statement, a DfI spokesperson also said part of the works "will encroach on the Mobuoy waste site" and "the final design will need to take this into account".

'Traffic flow is challenging'

They said that the department is continuing to work with Northern Ireland Environment Agency and other stakeholders to progress the remediation of this site.

The DfI spokesperson reiterated that delivery of this phase of the project "will depend on a range of factors including future budget settlements".

Previously, officials have said that completion of this section of the road would help alleviate traffic congestion, particularly during rush hour.

The spokesperson said that they continue to monitor traffic across the city and "seeks to implement traffic management measures to ease congestion where possible".

They said improving traffic flow is "challenging in a constrained urban environment" and "encouraged the public to consider all modes of transport to complete their journeys to help alleviate congestion".