With the schools fully open this week the level of traffic gridlock has increased to chaotic proportions. There were seriously long tailbacks on the main routes from Ramelton, Kilmacrennan, Glenswilly and the Dry Arch coming into the town. School buses were late dropping children off to the Letterkenny Primary and Secondary Schools. People were late for work and appointments with motorists angry and worried about what is ahead of them over the coming months. Even during the summer gridlock was a common feature of commuters continually frustrated by the Active Travel Works that are narrowing roads in the Ballyraine and the hospital areas of the town. On Tuesday morning at 9.45am traffic was still backed up to the Kilmacrennan side of the Mountain Top roundabout. A driving instructor had to cancel driving lessons because of the congestion. Local transport operators said their school bus services had run late three days in a row. The Active Travel work on the Kilmacrennan Road near Errigal College and the hospital is continuing daily with cycle/pedestrian narrowing the space for vehicles. Similar works on the Ballyraine Road out to the Old Creamery Roundabout are taking place at night. However, again the narrowing of the road is posing serious problems for traffic with the introduction of the pedestrian/cycleways.
