BYCRONANSCANLON

CLAIMS that the Ballybofey and Stranorlar bypass is to shortly progress to the next stage have been dismissed by a local councillor.

Fine Gael councillor, JJ Reid, was reacting to a statement released by Minister Mary Coughlan which stated the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) would issue before the end of this month.

Cllr Reid described as Minister Coughlan's statement as "disingenuous".

Cllr Reid referred to a report which is to be presented to councillors at tomorrow's Stranorlar Electoral Area meeting.

The report, from the National Roads Design Office (NRDO) in Donegal County Council, states the bypass project is currently under review.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has introduced a new project management measure called Peer Review. The Review group is made up of an independent panel and reviewed the long awaited project on June 26 and a number of issues were raised.

According to Cllr Reid the Review raised 60 "queries" in relation to the Twin Towns bypass which need to addressed before the CPO is published.

"This is just another delay for the Ballybofey and Stranorlar bypass and it is disingenuous of the Minister to say the CPO will be issued at the end of July when they knew about this (Review)," Cllr Reid said.

"The bypass has to go ahead but the big question is 'when'. It was supposed to start in 2004 and it has been put back to 2007 and it still not started. My information is that it will not start until 2009 and will be finished in 2012".

COUGHLAN

In her statement, Minister Coughlan said that she expects the CPO for the bypass to issue before the end of July.

"I have been in touch with my colleague, the new Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey TD, about the Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass project and he has informed me that the CPO will issue before the end of July," her statement read.

"The development of the Atlantic Corridor remains a priority for Fianna Fáil in government and, as a result of that priority, towns such as Ballybofey and Stranorlar are to benefit significantly. Minister Dempsey has also assured me that improving road infrastructure in Donegal, together with improving road access to the Northwest, will remain a priority for his department over the next number of years," she concluded.

The estimated 90 million euro project involves the design and construction of approximately 15.5km of new National Primary Road to form a southern bypass of Ballybofey and Stranorlar. The project will also provide for a new 1.2km long link road to be constructed to connect the new Bypass to Ballybofey and the existing N15 Donegal Road.