[MYOB]

an "m53" a bit further south coupled with widening the existing blayney bypass and a routing north from that makes most sense to me.

[Steviemak]

Building a new road through all Monaghan really doesn't make sense.

Its a fair distance from Aughnacloy to M1 Adree or even the M1 at Dundalk. They will probably just bypass Emyvale and upgrade the road as far as Monaghan.

I guess there would be no chance in getting the UK to pay for an upgrade from
Aughnacloy to A1 at Newry via Armagh.

[johnbk]

Well its funny how the marketing for this scheme has changed. It was money for the upgrade of the Derry road (A5) and now it is for the Monaghan to Letterkenny road. I wonder will they be giving extra money for the Emyvale bypass to the border and the upgrade of the Manorcunningham to Lifford road (N14) too? :-)

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1214/north.html
Cowen to meet NI ministers
Monday, 14 December 2009 08:46
Taoiseach Brian Cowen and several Government ministers will hold discussions on the economy and the peace process in Limavady, Co Derry, today.

They will be meeting Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Brian Cowen is expected to confirm that, despite the difficult economic climate, the Government will continue funding a number of cross-border initiatives, including the construction of a new road linking Monaghan to Letterkenny.

[MYOB]

Originally Posted by Steviemak

I guess there would be no chance in getting the UK to pay for an upgrade from
Aughnacloy to A1 at Newry via Armagh.

Seeing as its going to be DC all the way (via Lisburn) anyway, no. Not a viable route option generally, although if Emyvale is blocked off like the day the truck went in to the houses, it would be...

[cgcsb]

Originally Posted by Furet

That's quite astounding actually. "Protestant farms" being torn up, and the north being used to convey southerners from Donegal to Dublin - as if the upgraded A5 wouldn't benefit the north itself at all! Whatever... Seems like the only one playing nasty politics is himself.

wow what a bigotted a*hole. It's amazing how he can turn a motorway project (being payed for, in part anyway, by the Irish government) into an anti Irish, anti Catholic rant.

By the way I've followed the project closely and dont recall anything about a route option that dissrupted GAA facilities, he might have made that up though. And aren't "protestant farmers" supposed to be few and far between in western Northern Ireland?

[ardmacha]

By the way I've followed the project closely and dont recall anything about a route option that dissrupted GAA facilities, he might have made that up though. And aren't "protestant farmers" supposed to be few and far between in western Northern Ireland?

The GAA reference was to Dungiven area on the A6 route from Derry to Belfast, I think.

The A5 runs in the Strule/Foyle river valley from Omagh to Derry, almost every farm in this valley (on either side of the border) is owned by planters. Although the area generally may have a nationalist majority, these live on higher ground or in the towns.

[nordydan]

Without wishing to generalise, the Protestants still tend to have the bigger farms on the better land.

Regardless, they are paid for their land so I don't see his issue, apart from pandering to the lowest common denominator

[cgcsb]

Originally Posted by ardmacha

The GAA reference was to Dungiven area on the A6 route from Derry to Belfast, I think.

so, since the article he wrote was supposed to be about the A5, he deliberately threw that in to misslead his constituants?

Originally Posted by ardmacha

The A5 runs in the Strule/Foyle river valley from Omagh to Derry, almost every farm in this valley (on either side of the border) is owned by planters. Although the area generally may have a nationalist majority, these live on higher ground or in the towns.

that may be the case, but it infuriates me that he is not at all concerned about the livelyhood of farmers, however, he is concerned about the livelyhood of "protestant farmers"

[Setanta_og]

Fair Point Sponge Bob but it the final analysis we have to look to the future and the Island as a whole my vote says move ahead quickly with the project realistically it is the natural route for access to the NE

[jimmycrackcorm]

Originally Posted by Setanta_og

Fair Point Sponge Bob but it the final analysis we have to look to the future and the Island as a whole my vote says move ahead quickly with the project realistically it is the natural route for access to the NW

FYP.

Who the hell wants to go to Dundalk?

[Redsoxfan]

A small soundbite from McGuinness on the issue of landowners concerns

http://www.highlandradio.com/2010/01...s-mc-guinness/

[Sponge Bob]

Bit of data




and

[MYOB]

so Derry to Buncrana has a higher AADT than Dundalk-Newry, when the latter gets a HQDC both sides of the border and the former gets an S2....

[murphaph]

Originally Posted by MYOB

so Derry to Buncrana has a higher AADT than Dundalk-Newry, when the latter gets a HQDC both sides of the border and the former gets an S2....

True but I'd say most or all of the Donegal<->Derry traffic is commuting, and not part of a major interurban like the A1/N1 scheme. If we looked purely at AADT we'd only build motorways on the approach to cities and rely on S2 in between, which would be arseways.

Very interesting figures though, note how few vehicles use the N3 corridor over the border.

[Setanta_og]

With the latest exhibition of the Ostrich syndrome from the DUP boys I was thinking about the huge cost of this project especially for our southern brethren and how the money could be put to better use. Anyone in favour of a repatriation fund to the mainland?