Councils planning for cross-border shared walking and cycling paths

— Route part of planned North West Greenway Network.

An emerging design for the planned shared walking and cycling route between Strabane in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland and Lifford in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland is now on display until October 25.

Plans for shared paths are can be viewed at Alley Theatre in Strabane and Donegal County Council Offices in Lifford, as well as online at donegalcoco.ie.

Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council said this week that the planed shared looped cycle route will connect some of the key residential, commercial and civic centres in the two towns.

The North West Greenway Network communications manager, Ronan Gallagher said: “Both Councils are working closely as part of the North West City Region. Working in partnership it is our joint goal to strengthen and improve existing cross border transportation links, including cycling and walking routes, while supporting the development of new links to enable spatial and economic development in both Strabane and Lifford. We are very confident that the emerging design will help to transform how people move between the two towns.”

A joint statement from the councils said that after these events, they “will proceed to lodge formal planning permissions in both jurisdictions and will engage with any affected landowners along the route to agree accommodation works.”

The councils said that they are keen to liaise with residents while minimising disruption during construction. If approved, the councils hope that construction work can commence by late 2019.

Gallagher said: “One of our key objectives is to build infrastructure that will encourage people to cycle and walk to and from their destination in either town. Once completed, not only will we link Lifford to Strabane, but several schools will have access to a safe and segregated cycling and walking route.”

The Strabane to Lifford route is planned to form part the Northwest Greenway Network. The other two routes are Derry to Buncrana and Muff to Derry — the three routes are planned to amount to 46.5 km and cost around €18 million.

The network is planned to be funded by the European Union’s INTERREG European Regional Development Fund, with match-funding by the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and the Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport in Ireland.

The councils said that the preferred route corridors for the other two sections are scheduled to be announced before December.


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2 comments

  1. No, the British seem to want to return to the way things were when they joined the EEC in 1973 so that would mean building walls across all minor roads and paths

    Reply

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