THE ROADS agency says safety improvements to the main Enniskillen to Derrylin roads depend on funding being made available.
Meanwhile, more concerns have been raised about the safety of the road, especially for pedestrians and cyclists using what is one of the busiest routes in the county.
In particular, the Derryhawlaght hill at Macken has been earmarked as a dangerous stretch which puts the safety of pedestrians and cyclists at risk.
Issues in relation to visibility have been expressed, as have concerns regarding the speed of traffic along the stretch.
In addition to this at one point a local resident has remarked that many tonnes of stone have been off-loaded creating a “solid wall of stone” along the roadside, where previously there had been a some grass, which provided “some chance of avoiding oncoming traffic”.
The local lady warned that anyone walking from the near-by bus stop “would be crushed against the stones if hit by a car”.
When asked about plans for carriageway improvements and the provisions to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists in the Derryhawlaght area a spokesman for the Department for Infrastructure said, “This section of the A509 has a very poor alignment and minimal grass verge provision.”
The spokesman added that improvements will widen the road and improve forward visibility to enhance road safety. He also noted that there will be provision for one metre wide edge hard strips and two metre wide verges.
A period of ground settlement monitoring is anticipated to be completed within the next six months. “When it has been established that settlement of the soft ground has been achieved the final construction phase of the scheme can commence subject to the availability of funding.”
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