'Mc Clays' Junction (Stranorlar)

Redsoxfan

Or whatever it's called.

Surely there should be a set of lights or some other method of controlling traffic flow?

Discuss

shiibata

Some tight queues there alright and have seen a few accidents there..
A roundabout would be ideal, but not possible of course..
A solution could be, a one way system like was in it for that pipe laying last year

smashey

How about a by-pass?

That junction is a pain.

shiibata

smashey wrote: »

How about a by-pass?

That junction is a pain.

I just go up the inside and turn left, turn right round then on milbrae road and no problems

sesswhat

Now that the bypass looks likes it may become a reality within three or four years I can't imagine any more will be spent on traffic control in the towns before then.

Traffic lights may be some help as they would let traffic from Letterkenny turn right without being blocked by cars from Lifford direction waiting to turn in to the Letterkenny road.

They would also provide some facility for pedestrians to cross the junction who have to cope with traffic coming from many directions.

They would not stop:

1. Delivery Vans/Lorries and customers parking at McClay's side door so lorries can't get around the corner

2. Drivers going out the Letterkenny road then trying to turn right into the petrol station or Foy's creating a stalemate as traffic builds up behind them and no-one has anywhere to go.

3. Drivers coming from Letterkenny direction using the left lane, speeding through the forecourt of the petrol station for a shortcut then turning right at the petrol station exit OR avoiding the junction completely by using the narrow road past the graveyard making it dangerous for pedestrians.

4. People double parking or parking badly at, and opposite, the Chemist and Supermarket.

5. Drivers from Lifford direction not keeping over to the (admittedly non-existing) centre line when waiting to turn right, blocking everyone behind.

6. The huge craters that appear regularly as a legacy of the Broadband roadworks causing drivers to stop in mid-turn leaving following vehicles stranded in the face of oncoming traffic.

The one-way system as suggested would be much better, and another one for Ballybofey.

Other problems on that stretch include:

- Flooding outside Foy's blocking half the road after the Council's annual hashed attempts to sort out that drain.

- Drivers coming from Letterkenny direction getting into the right lane BEFORE the traffic island and then swerving back in because as usual the council only did half a job with the road marking and did not fill in the hatching either side of the island.

shiibata

sesswhat wrote: »

.

The one-way system as suggested would be much better, and another one for Ballybofey.

.

The one way system I mentioned was for both towns. From Letterkenny; down past the finn valley centre, left at harps ground and out at dunnions garage, turn right at navenny grill for mcelhinneys and other shops. Also the car park behind heeneys would be used more if this came in .
Straight thru town from Donegal town side.

sesswhat

shiibata wrote: »

The one way system I mentioned was for both towns. From Letterkenny; down past the finn valley centre, left at harps ground and out at dunnions garage, turn right at navenny grill for mcelhinneys and other shops. Also the car park behind heeneys would be used more if this came in .
Straight thru town from Donegal town side.

Within this though I would have two smaller systems with the addition of a one-way link from Finn Valley Centre to the Bus Station in Stranorlar, and one-way from Ballybofey Main Street Car Park to Navenny St. via Chestnut Lane (rather than going the other way in Chestnut Lane) and from there to Main St. at Options, keeping it all moving clockwise and not taking local traffic all around both towns.

I suppose the biggest issues would be with taking all the through traffic, including heavy vehicles through residential areas like the Mill Brae and Dreenan with no proper pavements, lighting, crossing points etc., which would have to be upgraded to National Road status.

muffler

I think that the council wont touch McClays corner now with the imminent arrival of the bypass in about 3 years from now.

irish1967

Adj. 1. imminent - close in time; about to occur;

Sad but true that in Donegal Road building and in many other aspects of officaldom that the word imminent can be applied to 3 years:)

muffler

irish1967 wrote: »

Adj. 1. imminent - close in time; about to occur;

Sad but true that in Donegal Road building and in many other aspects of officaldom that the word imminent can be applied to 3 years:)

Wtf. A posting dictionary. Stick to the topic.

Redsoxfan

Would the bypass alleviate traffic at the junction going to, say, MacCumhaill Park, or McElihenny's?

I wouldn't have thought so.

Dean-16

ballybofey is a pain to drive through from 9 in the morning to 9 at night.
theres alwats traffic.

blue shimmering

Dean-16 wrote: »

ballybofey is a pain to drive through from 9 in the morning to 9 at night.
theres alwats traffic.

I go to Letterkenny everyday and do not go through Ballybofey/Stranolar at all, I turn off at the pub just the Donegal Town side of Ballybofey called 'The Road House Bar' I think, go to a T junction - turn right and a direct turn left over a very narrow bridge - then take a right at the T junction and on to a drinks bottling factory I turn left and this takes me out a Drumkeen! It is slightly longer but about 10 minutes driving compared to about half an hour! It is also a good way to come in at Jacksons Hotel and also at Stranolar you would come in just before the turn off at Mc Clays.

To come in at just above Mc Clays you would just carry on straight instead of turning left at the bottling drinks factory! The only time I go through ballybofey is if I have to do business in it and do find it very frustrating to say the least! I would say that at some stage in 201...... the by pass will be finished but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it because there seem to be a lot of objections etc involved and it could still be delayed more than it has already been to date!

Glenman

Donegal drivers have no patience; Donegal town, Bundoran, Ballyshannon all by-passed and now one in the pipleline for Ballybofey/Stranorlar. And you are still complaining. Imagine if you were driving home from Galway on a Friday evening. Its 20 miles to Tuam and that takes an hour or more. I'm amazed at how all these towns up at home got a bypass when they were not too bad, Claregalway is 10 times worse.

muffler

Glenman wrote: »

Donegal drivers have no patience; Donegal town, Bundoran, Ballyshannon all by-passed and now one in the pipleline for Ballybofey/Stranorlar. And you are still complaining. Imagine if you were driving home from Galway on a Friday evening. Its 20 miles to Tuam and that takes an hour or more. I'm amazed at how all these towns up at home got a bypass when they were not too bad, Claregalway is 10 times worse.

Ah stop complaining

blue shimmering

Glenman wrote: »

Donegal drivers have no patience; Donegal town, Bundoran, Ballyshannon all by-passed and now one in the pipleline for Ballybofey/Stranorlar. And you are still complaining. Imagine if you were driving home from Galway on a Friday evening. Its 20 miles to Tuam and that takes an hour or more. I'm amazed at how all these towns up at home got a bypass when they were not too bad, Claregalway is 10 times worse.

You forgot about the one that is to by-pass Dunkineely and Bruckless! Great isn't it to live in a County that you can actually get around in! I am sure if you get to know the back roads around other towns it will save time as well - I have found a few in Dublin!!! That was an achievement - not going to tell because they will not be passable if I do, ha, ha, ha!

isthatyoudave?

Have they appointed a contractor the new bypass road in stranorlor yet?, or what sort of timeline are they working on?

muffler

isthatyoudave? wrote: »

Have they appointed a contractor the new bypass road in stranorlor yet?, or what sort of timeline are they working on?

It hasnt even gone to tender yet. The CPO's were issued a couple of weeks ago and it then goes to An Bord Pleanala later this year. The latest timescale I understand is that land purchase etc will proceed next year and maybe contractor will be selected and then works will begin in 2010

smashey

muffler wrote: »

then works will begin in 2010

I like your optimism.

emmemm

plenty of room for a mini roundabout ..of the flat variety.

should be one at Kinross junction too..might stop all those eejits turning left and doing a u turn.

shiibata

emmemm wrote: »

plenty of room for a mini roundabout ..of the flat variety.

should be one at Kinross junction too..might stop all those eejits turning left and doing a u turn.

would hate to own that house where they all do the u-turns..if i did own it i would have nails all over the place in front of the wall

muffler

emmemm wrote: »

should be one at Kinross junction too..might stop all those eejits turning left and doing a u turn.

Simple solution to that is not to have a stop/yield sign on the main road - have it instead on the Convoy road. It would mean a bit of realignment for safety reasons but it would solve the problem.

I wouldnt hold out much hope of this happening as they wont spend money now and then change it again when the by pass comes along.

Redsoxfan

Although it's not in Donegal, the T junction near the Ballygawley roundabout affects a lot of Donegal traffic and could do with some work....

sesswhat

emmemm wrote: »

plenty of room for a mini roundabout ..of the flat variety.

should be one at Kinross junction too..might stop all those eejits turning left and doing a u turn.

Then driving past thinking 'look at all those eejits waiting patiently to turn right':D

donegalman1

I seem to remember there was some talk of realigning the Junction at Kilross before but some legal point in the setup of the road came into play. The main route actually isn't to Letterkenny so they couldn't make the turn off right of way.

Agreed outside Omagh is very bad too and affects many Donegal People. The Govt has offered cash to Northern Ireland to update the Aughnacloy - Derry stretch and if we're lucky, as a spin off they may look at Strabane/Lifford to Letterkenny.

smashey

donegalman1 wrote: »

I seem to remember there was some talk of realigning the Junction at Kilross before but some legal point in the setup of the road came into play. The main route actually isn't to Letterkenny so they couldn't make the turn off right of way.

The St.Johnston to Lifford road was realigned recently and priorities were changed. Previously, when travelling to St. Johnston from Lifford, you had to give way to traffic from the Raphoe road. This has been reversed.