An MLA has spoken of his disappointment after a Stormont department said “it is not practicable” to include the place name Derry on new A6 road signs.
Foyle based SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan wrote to Sinn Féin Department for Infrastructure minister John O’Dowd earlier this year asking if he had considered "dual naming" on the A6 route linking Belfast and Derry.
Road signs across the north currently only use the phrase 'Londonderry' - which often results in the 'London' being painted over in nationalist areas - including on parts of the new A6 roadway already in use.
In response Mr O’Dowd said officials have been asked to “review the current approach" on dual naming across the network.
Fresh correspondence from the minister last week suggested no changes will be made to the existing A6 signage.
“Any changes to the signage at this later stage of the project would cause a delay to the completion of the works and result in significant additional costs,” he wrote.
“For these reasons it is not practicable to make the proposed amendments as this time.”
Mr O’Dowd added that his officials “have been asked to review the current approach with a possible view of moving to one that accommodates dual naming on traffic signs across the network”.
Mr Durkan said: “I am disappointed in this, I don’t know how it’s a late stage whenever I wrote to them months ago.”
