Hi °C | Lo °C 
Readers should be aware that the Roads Service is currently consulting on the dualling of the A6 between the Caw roundabout in Londonderry and Dungiven.
The scheme is long overdue and much needed.
I regularly make the journey between Derry and Belfast and, in recent years, journey times have lengthened to the extent that two to two-and-a-half hours are regular occurrences.
It is clearly ludicrous that journey speeds between Northern Ireland's two largest cities can average just 30mph.
The proposed scheme provides for dualling of the road and I believe that is inadequate. The road should be upgraded to full motorway. Derry is the fourth largest city on the island and yet will very shortly be the largest urban area not linked to the motorway network.
It is often suggested that Derry folk like to whinge and whine about lack of Government investment, but it is a fact that there is an infrastructure deficit to the west of the Bann.
This is borne out by the fact that the Dublin Government has said it will finance improvements on the road from Aughnacloy to Derry. Effectively, this says you have neglected to invest in your infrastructure to the extent that a 'foreign' government says it will pick up the tab.
You would have to ask does this not cause the powers that be in Stormont, the Northern Ireland Office and the Roads Service any sense of embarrassment?
Timescales for the scheme suggest that construction will not start until 2012 and not be completed until 2015.
Basically, a road development which should have been built to motorway standard in the Sixties will be completed to a lesser standard half a century later.
The closing date for comments is Wednesday, October 31, and I would encourage readers who are interested in the future development of Londonderry to voice any concerns that they have to:
The Strategic Road Improvement Manager, Roads Service, Northern Division, County Hall, Castlerock Road, Coleraine, or by email to roads-northern@drdni.gov.uk.
R Duffy, Londonderry
