Department says Donegal TEN-T road projects unaffected by A5 impasse

The Department of Transport has confirmed that major road upgrades in east Donegal connecting to the A5 remain unaffected by the decision by the High Court in Belfast to postpone the start of construction on the long-awaited Strabane to Aughnacloy dual carriageway.

The so-called TEN-T routes on this side of the border include the Ballybofey-Stranorlar bypass, the Bonagee Link project in Letterkenny, and the construction of a new 14km dual carriageway from Manorcunningham to Lifford, which will link with the A5 at Strabane.

Based on current timelines, construction of these roads is scheduled to begin in 2028.

“Progression of the [TEN-T] scheme will not be impacted by the decision of the High Court in Belfast to quash approval to commence construction of the first phase of the A5 project,” a Department of Transport spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that €2.02 million has been allocated for preparatory planning work on the project in 2025.

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The Belfast High Court caused consternation earlier this week when it quashed the A5 commencement order, ruling that the Department for Infrastructure in the North had failed to ensure the project complied with Stormont’s climate change legislation. The court also found that the environmental impact of the new road had not been properly assessed or scrutinised.

Donegal County Council, which is delivering the TEN-T project on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, stressed that while the A5 delay is a blow, it will not directly affect road-building efforts in Donegal.

“While the linkage to an improved A5 in Northern Ireland is desirable, the TEN-T project in Donegal is a wholly independent development,” a council spokesperson said. “The critical need to deliver the TEN-T project is well established, and the benefits arising from its completion are significant for the whole county.

“Both projects [the A5 and TEN-T] are independent but equally vital steps in connecting Donegal and the northwest to the rest of the country.”

Government approval for the Donegal TEN-T routes was granted in July 2024, and Donegal County Council says it expects to be in a position to publish the planning consent documentation - including preliminary design, Compulsory Purchase Order drawings, the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, and the Natura Impact Statement - early in Q4 of this year (i.e. October onwards).

“All documentation for the planning process is being prepared to be as correct, complete and up to date as possible in respect to design, standards and current policy,” the spokesperson added.

“There has been significant public consultation at all stages of the project to date. Land and property owners have been kept informed, and accommodation works and other land-related issues have, for the most part, been agreed where feasible.

“Formal land and property acquisition will not take place until the CPO is confirmed through the planning process.”