Buncrana motorists face five-day Mill Bridge closure next week
Motorists face diversions next week as the controversial barriers are removed and permanent safety works are completed
Buncrana’s Mill Bridge will close for five days next week to facilitate the removal of the controversial water-filled barriers and the completion of bridge strengthening and pedestrian safety works.
The section of the road from the Gransha Road Junction to the Millbrae Junction, over Mill River Bridge, will be closed from Monday, September 14, to Friday, September 18, while the works are carried out.
During the closure, the temporary water-filled barriers currently in place on the bridge will be removed and replaced with permanent infrastructure.
The works will include the installation of a concrete footpath extension and a 200mm rubbing strip along the bridge wall, designed to provide additional protection for the structure.
While the barriers are being removed, the current one-way traffic management system on the bridge will remain in place when the works are complete.
The temporary barriers and one-way system were introduced by Donegal County Council last year as a low-cost measure aimed at improving pedestrian safety on the bridge.
While the measures have provided increased protection for pedestrians, they have also been the source of considerable frustration for motorists, with delays and restrictions becoming a regular feature for those travelling through the area.
Motorists are being advised to follow the signed diversion routes while the bridge is closed.
Southbound traffic travelling from the Millfield and Millbrae areas will be diverted up Millbrae and onto St Oran’s Road/Railway Road, continuing past the Buncrana Fire Station Roundabout before travelling onto Looking Glass Brae.
Traffic travelling northbound from the Gransha direction will be directed along Looking Glass Brae, around the Buncrana Fire Station Roundabout and up St Oran’s Road before continuing down Millbrae.
Drivers are being advised to allow additional time for their journeys and to follow the diversion signage in place throughout the closure.
The latest works represent the second significant road disruption to affect Buncrana in recent weeks.
At the beginning of August, motorists faced a two-week closure of St Mary’s Road to facilitate essential resurfacing works, with diversions also required during that period.
The Mill Bridge works are expected to remain in place for five days, with the road scheduled to reopen following completion of the works on Friday evening, September 18.