IT will be a unhappy New Year for many motorists in Fermanagh with one of the most important link roads in the county, the Newbridge Road between Lisnaskea and Derrylin, expected to be closed from January to March.
The good news is, the short-term disruption will have long-term benefits as the road will be closed to facilitate a new programme of works aimed at helping prevent the widespread disruption caused by last winter’s devastating flooding.
The £600,000 Flood Alleviation Scheme for the Newbridge Road was announced by Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard last week. While the area has already received money from the Fermanagh Flooding Task Force, however this only provided a short-term solution to the flooding. It is hoped, by providing a piled foundation for the road to preventing settling, this new scheme will be a more permanent solution to the issue.
A Quinn lorry on the road near the Cement Plant at Ballyconnell
Minister Hazzard said it will be necessary to close the road to ensure the safety of motorists and contractors during the period of work, which could last three months. However, a temporary pass controlled by traffic lights will be used, and he said well-signed diversions would be in place and local access maintained.
Work began on Monday for a temporary road, adjacent to the existing road, that will be able to accommodate light traffic. It is expected work on this road will be completed before Christmas.
The main work is expected to begin in the New Year, and expected to finish in March. Over those three months cars, light vehicles and school buses will be able to use the temporary road, but a weight restriction will have to be applied and heavy goods vehicles will have to use the diversion via the Inishmore Road.
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