Unprecedented damage caused to Donegal road network

Three arterial routes in Inishowen remain closed this afternoon following Tuesday night’s flood but Donegal County Council hopes to reopen the main road between Derry and Moville this evening.

In an update given today at an emergency meeting in Carndonagh the council said  that the five main regional roads in the peninsula were closed at one stage due to the rain and flooding.

Assessment of damage on the smaller roads is still ongoing.

The rain and flooding left five locations where the primary road network was completely impassable by Wednesday morning.

The one causing the most disruption is at Three Trees on the main road between Quigley's Point and Derry.

Both sides of the carriageway were washed away. The council hopes to have a single lane with traffic light control open this evening.

Another major problem is being caused on the R240 on the main route between Carndonagh and Quigley's Point at Riverside. The bridge there suffered total failure and was washed away. The road is expected to be closed for sometime.

At Craignahorna on the R244 between Carndonagh and Drumfree, an old masonry bridge collapsed and the road is closed.

On the R238 at Gortaran near Clonmany, a parapet on a bridge was washed away but the road has reopened.

At Cockhill, up to 14 fully grown trees had been washed up against the bridge. The road there has also reopened

There was still widespread disruption being caused by diversions in some places today. Motorists travelling between Derry and Moville and Derry and Carndonagh were being diverted up single-lane roads leading to junctions where signage was absent.

Journey times are up to two or three times the usual length with minor roads around Quigley’s Point  becoming clogged up very quickly.

Senior engineer Brendan O'Donnell told the emergency meeting of the Inishowen municipal district that unprecedented damage had been caused to the road network across Inishowen.

“Given the nature of the torrential rain and the damage caused, the scale of it is absolutely huge,” he said.

“For now we are concentrating on the main arterial routes and getting them open. Some unfortunately will have to stay closed,” we said.

“We are still trying to get a shape on the sort of numbers we need in terms of funding. There Is huge damage to our infrastructure and it won’t be easily fixed or quickly fixed.”