Motorway deadline now back on track

Commuters and rush-hour travellers will be well aware of the bottleneck that has long existed between Limavady and Londonderry.

However a 7km stretch of the largely rural Clooney Road between Maydown and the city has been the subject of a massive 25million revamp which will include three new roundabouts and seven bridges.

From May 2009, Roads Service had just an 18-month timescale - including design implementation - in which to turn the mammoth scheme around, but despite setbacks including important archaelogical finds made in the path of the new road, completion in November is back on course.

DRD Roads Service Project Manager Colin Hutchinson said that drivers will not have to wait much longer to see the benefits.

"We did have worries in terms of the archaelogical aspect creating problems but we are now back on track," he said.

"7500 man hours were dedicated to archaeology and it had massive potential to delay the job. Neolithic homes that were 5000 years old, a 4000 year old Bronze-age ring ditch burial fort and a 1200 year old Medieval ring fort as well as axe heads were all uncovered."

Concerns raised by local landowners and fishermen seeking access to the River Faughan, by which the new road is traversed, also caused problems.

"Only last week I wrote to the Faughan Anglers' Association updating them of progress," said Mr Hutchinson.

"We have had long discussions with landowners about time periods and acces. Right now we are working on a very busy area where a roundabout will be put in place and we will have to restrict where landowners and the public can go, to minimise disruption."

He added that the reduction in journey times and the economic benefits to the region will far outweigh any inconvenience caused to local people.

"This road has always experienced problems because of the traffic volume and the amount of junctions and the end project will hopefully make things a lot better for visitors and residents alike.

""24,000 cubic metres of soil have been shifted and 850,000 tonnes of stones - equivalent to 53,000 lorry loads - have been introduced - and of course we do try to offset our carbon costs!

"The area is well known for being flat and we have tried to use as much of the excavated materials as possible to build up the road above the watercourse to prevent flooding, so the roadway will be elevated. There is also 35,000 metres of drainage and 30,000 of kerbing."

While construction continues, Mr Hutchinson has warned motorists to expect the unexpected.

"There is a 40km speed restriction in place to protect workers and drivers alike and the police have been down a number of times to enforce this. Most days, traffic flow in both directions will be facilitated and on rare occasions traffic lights will be used. However we will remind drivers that there will be changes to the traffic flow to accommodate the work, traffic management will mean that there will be directional changes over certain period and drivers must stay alert."

Public consultation on the route began in February 2005, with the preferred route announced that November. Part of the project includes improved access to City of Derry Airport as part of an overall 'North West corridor' which will improve the region's infrastructure.