BY CRONAN SCANLON
A CROSS border motorway linking Letterkenny and Derry to Dublin has been given the green light this week.
The announcement was made by both governments at Tuesday's North South Ministerial Council meeting in Newry.
Mr Aidan O'Doherty of the National Roads Design Office in Donegal County Council said the road would have a "huge impact on all our lives".
"I would call this a motorway and not just a dual carriageway," Mr O'Doherty said.
He said alot of discussions have been going on over the last six years after Donegal was left out of the Government's motorway programme.
"When the motorway programme was first mooted it included a number of routes to Dublin from Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford," he explained.
"We realised very early on the we were being left out and were told we would only get an upgraded road from Dublin. But, in a county with no rail network, and then being left out of the motorway loop was totally unacceptable to us".
He said a group of people got together including himself, senior politicians in Donegal and the County Manager. They then contacted the Roads Service in the North and discussions began.
"Tuesday's announcement in Newry was a big big milestone as both governments have come on board and money is on the table".
He said the project was still a number of years away as a design team had to be appointed and a number of different routes would have to be chosen. Mr O'Doherty added that the motorway could take up to ten years to complete depending on funding and other factors.
"This is a big big day and at least now we are at the starting gates. An awful lot of people have put an awful lot of work into this and this motorway will have a huge impact on all of our lives," he concluded.
Donegal North East TD, Deputy Niall Blaney, said the infrastructural improvements will mean commercial and economic progress for the county.
Deputy Blaney said he was "very confident" the new road should be completed during the lifetime of the National Development Plan which comes to an end in 2012.
He has now called for works to commence as soon as possible following the go ahead this week from the North South Ministerial Council.
"Works must proceed without delay on the Letterkenny Derry Gateway A5, following the announcement today from the North South Ministerial Council that the dual carriageway to Derry/Letterkenny has been given the final go-ahead," Deputy Blaney said.
He added the upgrade of the Letterkenny to Derry route was made possible because Fianna Fáil sanctioned funding of £400 million to help fund joint North-South infrastructure projects.
"This kind of co-operation is vital to the development of border counties like Donegal."
"Fianna Fáil is already investing over £650 million in cross-border projects that are benefiting citizens throughout the island."
"Because of our geography Donegal has been negatively affected by the troubles in the North and we have not seen the benefits of progress that other parts of the country have enjoyed."
"This infrastructural improvement is crucial to the development of the county and I will work to ensure that this project is advanced as speedily as possible," he concluded.
President of Letterkenny Chamber, Mr Jason Black, described the possibility of a dual carriageway to Derry as "absolutely amazing".
"This would be fantastic for Letterkenny and would open up access to the North West," Mr Black said.
