A32 improvement plans ‘extremely disappointing’

PLANS to upgrade a key road used to transport Tyrone patients to South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) were branded ‘extremely disappointing’ during a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC).

Despite a need for significant improvements to the A32 being identified from as early as 2008, funding shortages within the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) mean the future of the upgrade scheme remains uncertain.

Commenting on the beleaguered project during a FODC meeting last week, prominent Tyrone GP and local councillor, Dr Jo Deehan said, “We all understand the budgetary constraints… but I feel this is just not good enough.

“The upgrade of the A32 was something that was considered an absolute necessity (especially following the closure of Tyrone County Hospital in 2017) to ensure the safety of patients being transferred from Omagh and district to our new acute hospital in Enniskillen.

“It is very disappointing that those improvements have not been completed all these years ahead.”

In a letter to FODC, Jonathan Saulters, DfI’s Deputy Director of Major Projects, said, “A route improvement strategy for the A32 was originally developed a number of years ago as part of the transfer of acute hospital services from Omagh to Enniskillen.

“The department has delivered two schemes along this route: an on-line improvement at Drumskinny; and an off-line realignment at Shannaragh.”

However, Mr Saulters went on to acknowledge that DfI has yet to conduct corrective works on other important parts of the road, including a realignment at Cornamuck, and that these parts of the project were contingent on the necessary funding being secured.

Dr Deehan believes that the Cornamuck section of the A32 – between Irvinestown and Enniskillen – is one of the worst parts of the road and therefore should be a chief priority for DfI.

“Mr Saulters says an improvement strategy has been developed for ‘a number of years’. It is now 11 years since the scheme was devised,” said the FODC councillor.

“Cornamuck is one of the parts of the A32 most in need of an upgrade.

“It is windy, there is virtually no opportunity to overtake, and, frankly, it could cost the life of a patient being transported from Omagh to SWAH.”

Concluding, Dr Deehan, who is a long-time A32 campaigner, said, “We all understand the budgetary constraints, but we have been told by DfI Roads that some of these sections have been shovel ready for quite a considerable period of time, and I just feel it is not good enough really.

“The safety of our constituents is being compromised by the dangers of that journey along the A32.”