Traffic congestion in Omagh town centre a growing problem

OFFICIALS from the Department for Infrastructure are actively investigating two separate schemes in Omagh to address severe traffic congestion in parts of the town centre.

Long delays are becoming more frequent, particularly on James Street and the Dromore Road during peak weekday and weekend times, leading to consistent traffic jams that extend to Market Street.

The issue was raised at a recent meeting between the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Divisional roads manager, Daniel Healy, acknowledged the congestion issues and highlighted that most of them stem from junctions on the A5, ‘causing a ripple effect throughout the town’. He mentioned ongoing efforts to address the problem, stating, “We are looking at a number of schemes planned for the A5 junctions which are currently being developed, including junction improvements.”

The DFI has identified two projects in the design phase on the Great Northern Road.

The first involves carriageway widening on the western side of the Homebase junction to increase capacity. The second project focuses on the validation of traffic modelling to enhance efficiency at signalised junctions on the road, which was originally intended to bypass Omagh town centre when constructed three decades ago.

Sinn Fein councillor, Barry McElduff stressed the need for action, particularly in addressing congestion problems on the Dromore Road.

He called for measures to be taken from the Kevlin Road to the Dromore Road to effectively tackle the bottleneck issue in that specific area.

In 2021, the-then Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, ordered a probe into traffic congestion around Omagh during peak periods.

The survey included analysis of the level of vehicles on the Great Northern Road, Dromore Road and other key routes across the town.

However, more than two years on, the results of that survey – which had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic – have still to be published.