Updated 04th May 2010
Introduction
The N15 Bundoran/Ballyshannon By-Pass Project forms part of the National Roads Authority's programme for upgrading the N15 Sligo to Lifford Road. This forms part of the important Atlantic Corridor identified as a key interurban route under the government’s Transport 21.
The project involved the design and construction of approximately 10.5km of new National Primary Route to form a by-pass to the east of the towns of Bundoran and Ballyshannon in South Donegal. The section of N15 starts at Bundrowes Bridge, approximately 2km south of Bundoran and ends at Cotton Hill, 1km north of Ballyshannon town. To facilitate the construction of the by-pass, a new landmark bridge has been constructed over the Erne River. A new link road from the N15 roundabout at Cotton Hill, west to Rossnowlagh is also completed.
The Need for the Project
Donegal County Council had long identified the requirement for a by-pass of both Bundoran and Ballyshannon and routes for a potential by-pass of the towns have been reserved on the Ballyshannon and Bundoran Development Plans and the Donegal County Council Development Plan for a number of years. The need for a by-pass of Ballyshannon and Bundoran was also identified in 'The National Roads Needs Study' prepared by the NRA and also the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The N15 of which this is part lies on the ‘Atlantic Corridor’ identified as a key interurban route under the government’s ‘Transport 21’ Programme.
The existing N15 to the south of Bundoran and north of Ballyshannon is relatively high standard wide single carriageway, which allows traffic to travel freely along the route. The section of the N15 that passes through Bundoran and Ballyshannon is sub-standard with regard to horizontal and vertical alignment and also cross section. This acts as a bottleneck on the route and the high volumes of vehicles using the route, especially during the tourist season, regularly results in slow moving, congested traffic in both towns.
Automatic traffic counts have been undertaken in the past, the results of which indicate that the existing N15 in the vicinity of Bundoran and Ballyshannon towns carries Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of up to 12,000 vehicles. The greatest volume of traffic tends to occur during the summer tourist season when the towns and environs attract a greater number of visitors.
A number of accidents have occurred on the road in recent years, the majority of which happened in Bundoran and Ballyshannon. These have been due to a number of factors, which have included the high number of junctions and accesses; the considerable congestion; the considerable number of pedestrians; and the mixed use of roads by local and strategic traffic.
Current Status
The Compulsory Purchase Order for the acquisition of the required lands and Environmental Impact Statement were published in February 2001. Following a lengthy Oral Hearing, An Bord Pleanala confirmed the CPO in September 2002. Notice to Treat was served on all landowners. 95% of land acquisition has been completed at this time.
Archaeological testing commenced in Summer 2003 and Stage 2 of archaeological resolution was completed in good time. At Ballyhanna in Ballyshannon a medieval church and graveyard were uncovered. Through NRA funding and stirling work by the Archaeologists from the Donegal National Roads Design Office, this area adjacent the bypass is tastefully restored and available to the public.
Preliminary design was completed by Jacobs Babtie after which tender documentation for the Design and Construct Contract was prepared and issued to the 5 shortlisted tenderers in early November 2003.
SIAC/Wills Bros Joint Venture was awarded the contract and commenced work in July 2004. A section of the roadway by-passing Bundoran Town was opened to traffic in January 2006. The balance of the scheme opened in July 2006.
The scheme is functioning very well with significant traffic volumes being removed from both towns.
The Cathaleens falls Structure over the River Erne won the 2007 Concrete Institute Overall prize. The award is a testimaent to the the hard work, expertese and diligence of the SIAC Wills JV, Fehilly Gifford Timmoney and Donegal County Council Site Mangement Team.
Overall congratulations must go to all those involved in the project from inception to date, the Donegal National Roads Design office, Site Management Team, NRA and the Design and Build contractor, for a very succesful project.
Estimated Cost of Project (Overall)
€82 million.
Completion Date
July 2006.
Management Team
§ Donegal National Roads Design Office
§ Jacobs Babtie
§ NRA
§ Donegal County Council
The Archaeological Works Programme
In the summer of 2003 a programme of archaeological works commenced with test excavations along the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon route. These test excavations were targeted at a number of potential archaeological features that had been identified in 2001 from desktop research and field walkovers connected with the EIS.
Additional test trenches were also dug along the entire length of the development, to identify any other archaeological features or complexes of which there was no trace visible above ground. Excavation commenced immediately following the test excavations in September 2003 and was completed in March 2004. The outcome of the intensive archaeological works was the identification and full excavation of a number of archaeological sites along the route of the bypass.
Archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic (4000BC-2500BC) up to the more recent post-medieval period (post 1700 AD) were excavated. Representing settlement and ritual activity dating to some of the earliest periods of human settlement in Ireland, the exciting discoveries ranged from one of the frequently found fulachta fiadh, or burnt mounds, dating predominantly from the Bronze Age, to a possible brushwood trackway perhaps dating to an even earlier Neolithic period, from a probable Iron Age linear earthwork, to the discovery of a forgotten medieval cemetery and church, as well as a number of other sites from varying periods.
The National Roads Authority in co-operation with Donegal County Council under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 funded the archaeological works with the assistance of the EU Structural Programme.
For more information on Archaeological Discoveries on this project, click here.
Click here to view the brochure of the offical launch of the Public Lighting and Artworks