Omagh traffic disruption expected to last for a year

MOTORISTS in Omagh are being warned to brace themselves for ‘significant delays’ within the town centre for at least the next year, as a major £3.4million road-widening scheme gets underway – a project which this week coincides with the new school-term.

The major works, aimed at improving access to the new Strule Shared Education Campus, have just started but are not due for completion until the summer of 2026.

Traffic delays, lane restrictions and temporary road closures are expected along the Mountjoy Road and Gortin Road – already one of the busiest stretches in Omagh, particularly at peak school and commuting times.

A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) confirmed, “With the schools in Omagh due to start back in September, there are likely to be significant delays in the area, especially at peak times.

“The Department would ask that the council advise staff and visitors to allow additional time for their journey to work or appointments or use the signed alternative routes, especially during the first few months of the new school term.”

They added, “All work has been carefully-programmed and traffic management arrangements put in place to minimise inconvenience. However, due to the extensive nature of the works, which includes utility service diversions, full-depth road construction and drainage works, significant disruption to traffic flows is expected.”

The Department said the closures are necessary to ‘ensure the safety of road workers and the travelling public while the work is undertaken’.

When complete, the scheme will deliver two lanes of traffic in each direction, alongside a new shared-use footway and cycleway.

More than 4,000 schoolchildren and staff are expected to use the route on a daily basis when the Strule Campus opens in September 2028.

Barry McElduff, chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, has urged the DfI to do everything possible to minimise disruption.

He said, “A proper traffic management approach to enable traffic flow at peak times is crucial. With the resumption of the new school year, people are worried and concerned.

“We already have congestion at other key pinch points in the town. Everyone does accept of course that the road needs to be widened to accommodate the Strule Shared Education Campus.

“But this situation needs to be managed properly and monitored on a daily basis.”