A number of community groups and two schools have joined forces in a bid to stop excessive speeding through their village.
Residents in Lettermacaward are holding a protest demonstration on Wednesday, September 2nd at 3pm.
The protest meeting with include the community groups at the heart of this campaign, children from the two local primary schools and locals living in the area.
A spokesperson said they want action now before somebody is killed.
“There has been 10 road deaths in Donegal already this year, and Lettermacaward is not prepared to wait for a fatality before action is taken to reduce the speeds at which vehicles travel through our beautiful village.
“We want action immediately.”
The upgraded N56 was met with much fanfare when it opened in 2017.
However, over the last number of years the issue of speeding has become a huge concern for the community, which has two local schools in the small town that is nestled between the towns of Dungloe and Glenties.
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The speed limit on the main stretch of road through Lettermacaward is 60kph.
A survey conducted by Donegal County Council in 2021, unearthed some alarming findings.
85% of cars driving on the N56 through the West Donegal village were doing in excess of 80kph – which exceeds the legal limit by more than 20kph.
In 2020, a Development Group was established in an effort to tackle the problem.
They began engaging with Donegal County Council Roads Department in 2020.
At the time, there was suggestions of traffic calming measures being implemented and better signage.
However, that never came to fruition after Transport Infrastructure Ireland costed the safety project at €95,000, but advised that as there had been no fatal or serious accidents on this road, it was of “low priority”, and would not be funded.
The scheme was rated as “level 4”, because of the lack of fatalities and accidents on that stretch of road.
The Development Group has continued to press tirelessly for safety measures, but to no avail.
Locals have said that there has been a significant number of accidents and “near misses” in the past years, and it seems only a matter of time before there is a serious or fatal accident.
There are two schools, a post office, a housing estate, a shop, a petrol station, a church, a public hall, a GAA pitch, and
a popular bar along this stretch of road, and not one safe place to cross the road.
Recently, the Development Group, with the support of local councillor Brian Carr, commissioned their own signage, which has recently been erected at the entrances to the village, and on the roadside.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme