By Iveren McCallion
Five route options for the Southern Relief Road in Newry have been whittled down to two.
Both routes, which will be up for consultation this autumn, will link the A2 Warrenpoint Road to the A1 at Ellisholding Junction.
Option one, suggested by the Department for Infrastructure, will start at the Greenbank Industrial Estate crossing the Newry River and Canal to join the main Belfast to Dublin Road.
While option two makes the connection further south at Rough Island and along Fathom Line.
It's thought the second option could open up the possibility of combining the Southern Relief Road with the Narrow Water Bridge project.
The publication of this Stage 2 development document is seen as a huge step forward for the bypass which aims to improve traffic in Newry City and Warrenpoint.
This second stage is expected to be completed by summer 2018.
Local councillor and Warrenpoint Harbour Authority board member, Glynn Hanna, says the council here will have to back either the Southern Relief Road or Narrow Water Bridge.
He says they can't afford to build both and a decision between the two is a no-brainer:
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