Ready
FORMER US president Bill Clinton will be asked to officially open a long-delayed stretch of the A6 upgrade, which is expected to be ready for use next month.
Dungiven based Sinn Féin councillor Kathleen McGurk revealed on Thursday that she has been told unofficially that the new road will be open to traffic on April 6.
President Clinton, who helped broker the Good Friday Agreement, is expected to visit the north next month to mark the accord's 25th anniversary.
The A6 project, which began in 2018, has been dogged by delays along the Derry to Dungiven section.
The route will improve travelling time between Belfast and Derry and is seen as being of strategic economic importance.
It includes a 30km stretch between Derry and Dungiven, incorporating a new by-pass around the town, which is a notorious bottleneck.
The estimated cost of the project, which is planned over two phases, is up to £420 million with the Drumahoe to Dungiven section priced at up to £225m.
As construction progressed, single lane sections have been in place along the existing route, often resulting in delays.
Ms McGurk said she has been told unofficially by Department for Infrastructure (DFI) officials that the new road is expected to be open on April 6 and that contractors have also confirmed the date.
The councillor said she has been talking to officials at DfI and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council about the possibility of President Clinton cutting the ribbon on the eagerly anticipated road "given that this project would be a demonstration of the outworkings of the Good Friday Agreement and powersharing and everything that Stormont has achieved over the past 25 years".
Ms McGurk said the road opening "does align with the visit here".
She added that the delay in opening the road has been "very frustrating".
"We appreciate that there has been delays that outside of everybody's control," she said.
"I work in the construction industry myself and I know the impact that Covid had, from material shortages, lead times just went through the roof for stuff you just couldn't have anticipated.
"There have been other smaller issues that had a knock on effect that it normally does in a construction project so we do appreciate the delays that DfI faced but it has been majorly frustrating for the people in Dungiven."
Ms McGurk said her party colleague, east Derry MLA Caoimhe Archibald, will visit the US next week where it is hoped she can lobby on the possibility of President Clinton opening the new road.
DfI was contacted.
