46.5km of greenway planned

Almost 20million euros are to be spent developing 46 kilometres of new greenway between Derry, Strabane and Donegal, under a Cross Border Greenways Project that aims to increase cross-border bike journeys by 5.5 per cent by 2023.

A meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee last week heard how eight staff, four from Derry City and Strabane District Council, three from Donegal County Council and one from Sustrans, will be employed on the project, which has a total value of 18.5million euros. Thirty-two kilometres of greenway from Derry to Buncrana, via Tooban, with a spur to Newtowncunningham; 10.5 kilometres of greenway from Muff to Derry; and 3.5 kilometres of greenway from Strabane to Lifford, are planned. The council has secured just under 15million euros from the Special European Union Programmes Body towards the network.