by Louise Doyle
DONEGAL County Council is remaining tight-lipped about the final costings of the Four Lane project – for now.
The major multi million euro infrastructure project in Letterkenny has been beset with delays, with its completion now running more than a year over schedule.
The road works, between the Polestar and Dry Arch Roundabouts on the N56, was initially due to be completed in August of last year.
Global supply and inflation created additional costs for the contractors, which forced the deadline back.
The project has been “substantially complete” for some time now.
The final element of the project involved a particularly sensitive 200m section of cantilevered Footway/Cycleway overhanging the River Swilly SAC.
The scheme is funded by the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) Safety and Network Management.
A spokesperson for Donegal County Council declined to confirm the final costs of the project until its overall completion.
The spokesperson told the Donegal News: “The Four Lane project in Letterkenny is still under Contract and details of final outturn costs will not be released until the project is fully concluded.
“The Contractor will be seeking Substantial Completion under the Contract by the end of November 2023.”
The project is an important one for the Cathedral town, providing improved and safer access to the town on what is the busiest road in the county.
The project also provides significant new pedestrian and cycle facilities as well as traffic light signalisation of the Polestar roundabout, which came in to operation on October 17.
The first sod was turned on the N56 Four Lane project in June 2021.
The project was initially due to commence the previous Autumn but was curtailed when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
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