In 2017 the Herald reported that residents had called for the improvements to be prioritised with the road, which is one of the busiest in the county likened to a “third world carriageway”.
This week work started  on the “dangerous” stretch of road near Derryhawlaght hill at Macken with a temporary 40mph speed limit was introduced for 6 months .
Councillor Chris McCaffrey explained, “Some work has started but it is not the resurfacing work that is needed, at some stage they will hopefully widen the road and possibly take the gradient of the hill out but at present I understand they are monitoring ground movement.
“I spoke to the Department on Monday and asked about the time scale for the project, as obviously this is a matter of urgency. It’s the main Dublin road which is busy with traffic on it passing Enniskillen daily.
“There is a strain on the budget due to government cutbacks. The timescale they have given was another six months, they weren’t very clear and the answer I was given was that it wouldn’t be this financial year.”
Outlining the works a spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure said, “An 800 metre long carriageway improvement project is being undertaken on A509 Derrylin Road at Derryhowlaght. This section of the A509 has a very poor alignment and minimal grass verge provision.
“The objective of this road improvement scheme is to widen the road and improve forward visibility to enhance road safety. The final road layout will be to a similar standard to other road improvements delivered along this route. The carriageway will be widened to a 7.3metre wide carriageway with provision for 1 metre wide edge hard strips and 2 metre wide verges.”
Last month the Herald reported safety raised concerns of residents in the area. One resident drew attention to tonnes of stone which had been offloaded creating “a solid wall of stone” along the roadside. The resident claimed this had left little room for pedestrians who use the road verge.
Yesterday a departmental spokesman said, “Temporary verge provision works are currently being undertaken at the site and when completed they will enable residents to access the bus service safely from a relocated bus stop.”
Cllr McCaffrey explained, “The bus has to stop on the brow of the hill and since stone was left there it creates a blind spot, not just for motorists but for pedestrians as well and this adds to the  danger of the hill. I’m glad to hear that the Department are now taking some steps to address this. The other bus shelter wasn’t very suitable for elderly people who rely on public transport.”