Minister to recommend go-ahead for A5 upgrade

By David Young (PA)

Stormont’s Infrastructure Minister has said he will be recommending that the planned upgrade of the A5 road should proceed.

A scheme to turn the road into a dual carriageway was first approved by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2007 but it has been held up by legal challenges and uncertainty over funding.

There have been more than 50 deaths on the road, which links Londonderry with Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone, since 2006.

Minister John O’Dowd had been considering a report compiled by the Planning Appeals Commission following last summer’s public inquiry into the road-building project.

In the Assembly on Monday, Mr O’Dowd told MLAs that he would be recommending that the upgrade goes ahead. He was responding to a question from party colleague and West Tyrone MLA Nicola Brogan.

“I can confirm that at this morning’s Executive meeting I briefed Executive colleagues that in the coming days I will be issuing them with my initial response to the Planning Appeals Commission’s report. I will also be making a recommendation that we proceed with the A5,” he said.

“I am conscious that this is a cross-cutting issue (involving several departments). So, I will issue the papers to my Executive colleagues. I will await their feedback and then I will submit a further paper for mid-August for their approval and the moving ahead with the A5 project.”

The minister added: “I’ve given careful consideration to the 30 recommendations within the Planning Appeals Commission’s report.

“I’m also acutely aware of the road safety aspects of this. I believe that if my recommendation to approve is endorsed by the Executive, then what we are actually doing is not only providing a state-of-the-art road, correcting regional imbalance, but we’re also saving lives.”

Ms Brogan welcomed the comments.

“It will be really welcome news for people right across West Tyrone and for everyone who does use the A5,” she said.

“We’ve been waiting patiently for progress on it so I do thank you for the work you’ve done and the commitment you’ve made to deliver the A5.”

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill welcomed Mr O’Dowd’s update to the Executive.

“I very much welcome that he intends to bring a position to the Executive which is to proceed with the A5,” she told reporters at Stormont.