The prospect of an outer ring road to serve Enniskillen - it would carry traffic coming in from the West across the River Erne and linking up with the proposed Cherrymount Link Road, just off the Irvinestown Road - was floated at this month's meeting of Fermanagh District Council.
Tom Elliott, MLA, who lives in Ballinamallard, having welcomed the inclusion of the Southern by-pass in the Roads service's ten year plan, suggested putting pressure on the Ministers at Stormont to have a Northern by-pass.
"It is time, now we have Ministers of our own at Stormont, to make them work, in this case to push for a northern as well as for a southern by-pass.
"I'm thinking of developments on the Portora school site and a link road around Enniskillen across the lake coming out at the back of Cherrymount Road'.
Earlier, Bernice Swift, speaking as chairman of the Council's Planning Committee, said the one big question she had about the southern by-pass was, what measures were being put in place to protect that route (from other developers). She said the line of the road needed to be clearly identified.
Rodney Connor, the Council's chief executive, explained that the road could not be monitored until it had been designed: "My understanding is that that process has already begun. Roads Service will be appointing consultants to determine the best possible route, and I understand that that route has to be confirmed by 2010.
"Once the route has been confirmed, the planners will be obliged to protect that route, but, yes, the Roads Service is in the process of appointing consultants to bring forward the route selection process", he added.
When Councillor Swift stressed the need closer monitoring, she was advised to bring the matter up with the Divisional Roads Manager, Pat Doherty at the special roads' meeting on May 27th.
Gerry McHugh, MLA welcomed the inclusion of the Southern by-pass scheme in the Department for Regional Development's ten year strategic road programme.
The 3.2km stretch of 2 + 1 single carriageway will extend from the Derrylin Road (A509) to the A4 (Belfast Road). It will require the construction of a bridge. No estimated cost has been fixed for the scheme.
Likewise, Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh welcomed its inclusion. He said he had met the Minister, Conor Murphy earlier that day and had thanked him for prioritising the scheme.
"It is my understanding", he added, "that this commitment is based upon monies which the Minister has identified within DRD's budget going forward, without support from Dublin representing his commitment to this scheme. He explained that the Southern by-pass fell into a category for projects for which resources have been identified going forwards.
He commented: "There is perhaps not a councillor here who thought that the Southern by-pass would happen within a ten year period.
"So, this is an example, thankfully, of local politicians delivering for people in the new all-Ireland power-sharing executive a sign of the new dispensation delivering for our community".
But, Councillor McHugh claimed that it was direct pressure applied by him on the Minister that had got the scheme listed in his Department's 10-year plan.
There was no doubting, he said, the importance of the Southern by-pass to would-be investors: "If and when we get it, we will get funding for the rest of the road, to Ballygawley at one end and Sligo at the other.
