Major Inishowen traffic disruption expected as main artery set to close for five days
Motorists face five days of disruption as thousands of vehicles are diverted from the busy R238 between Burnfoot and Bridgend.
Ireland’s busiest regional road and Inishowen’s main route is set to close for five days later this month, with motorists being warned to expect delays and disruption.
A section of the R238 between the Slab Road in Burnfoot and The 19th Hole in Bridgend will close from Monday, September 28, until Friday, October 2, to facilitate resurfacing works on approximately half a kilometre of the road.
The closure will affect one of the busiest routes in the county, with more than 10,000 vehicles using the road each day.
During the works, traffic travelling between Derry and Inishowen will be diverted via the Slab Road.
Motorists travelling from Inishowen towards Derry will be directed up the Slab Road and onto the Derry–Letterkenny route, while traffic travelling from Derry towards Inishowen will also be diverted via the Slab Road.
The closure comes at a time when motorists across Inishowen have already faced a number of significant road closures and major works.
However, the Burnfoot-to-Bridgend closure will be particularly significant given the volume of traffic normally using the R238. It will also be the second major programme of works on the R238 in the space of a year.
Last November, major roadworks between Lisfannon and Fahan resulted in severe traffic congestion, with reports of motorists being delayed by between 40 and 60 minutes as they attempted to make their way through the affected area.
The disruption caused considerable frustration for commuters, school-goers and people travelling to medical appointments.
In the aftermath of those works, South Inishowen Councillor Fionán Bradley tabled a motion calling for major roadworks on primary and arterial routes in Donegal to be carried out at night where possible.
At a Donegal County Council meeting towards the end of last year, Bryan Cannon, Director of Roads and Transportation with Donegal County Council, said he fully understood the difficulties encountered in Buncrana, but stressed that decisions around timing and traffic management are complex.
With another major section of the R238 now set to close, motorists are being advised to plan their journeys and allow additional time for travel.
The five-day closure is expected to bring increased pressure onto the alternative routes, particularly the Slab Road and the Derry–Letterkenny road, as thousands of vehicles are diverted away from the main Inishowen artery.