Cullion Road closure planned for emergency route during Donegal Rally

The Cullion Road in Letterkenny is to be closed to traffic during the weekend of the Donegal International Rally to provide a route for emergency vehicles.

The emergency route coming into place comes after fears over ambulances and other emergency vehicles being delayed.

The matter of delays for emergency services has raised its head at several public fora in recent months.

Donegal County Council is planning a temporary closure of the L1094 Cullion Road during the weekend of the rally later this month.

The closure is planned for 2pm-11.59pm on Friday, June 21, from 10am-11.59pm on Saturday, June 22 and from 10am-11.59pm on Sunday, June 23.

The Cullion Road is set to be closed from the townland of Drumnahoagh from the junction with the Leck Road to the junction with the Four Lane road.

The diversion routes will be via the L1114, Leck Road, the N13 Letterkenny-Stranorlar Road and the N56 Four Lane road.

Councillor Kevin Bradley, the Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, raised the issue in March after it was reported that ambulances encountered delays during emergency call-outs due to traffic at peak times.

Mayor Bradley said there was added urgency coming into the Donegal International Rally and summertime.

The issue of access to and from Letterkenny along the Four Lane Road also arose at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee.

Liam Ward, Director of Services with Donegal County Council, told the JPC: “There are clearly issues when there is peak traffic but plans are being put in place for the rally weekend which will bring increased traffic to the town, and we will work as far as we can to ensure emergency vehicles are not inconvenienced to go about the job they have to do.”