£1.2m road scheme underway amid widespread safety concerns

WORK has been taking place during the past week on a £1.2 million scheme on a section of the A5 at Curr, near Beragh.

The road safety package is being aimed at improving the surface of the main arterial route close to the A5 Diner between Omagh and Ballygawley, where thousands of vehicles pass on a daily basis.

It follows concerns from the business premises and local councillors about the state of the road in this area, and the potential impact on both vehicles and those using the adjacent business premises on a regular basis.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council wrote to the Infrastructure Minister over the issue, which was again raised at their monthly meeting last week.

Councillors said that there were ‘significant safety concerns’ regarding the A5 and that urgent remedial works were required at the A5 Diner.

The work is one of a number of schemes being undertaken to improve safety on the route, which has claimed 50 lives since the announcement of plans for a new dual carriageway in 2007.

In addition to the scheme at the A5 Diner, another project to improve sightlines and access and exits from the public layby at Tattykeel is also currently taking place.

Ulster Unionist councillor, Allan Rainey, welcomed the investment in the project, and praised the lobbying work of the Council chief executive, Alison McCullagh.

Cllr Rainey went on to urge councillors to press for more remedial work to be completed on the existing A5.

“The Minister (for Infrastructure) has said that we should all be lobbying as individuals,” he said.

“But we have been lobbying for two years for this work to be done and nothing happened until the intervention of our chief executive. The people at the A5 Diner will be really happy that this work is being done.”