A5 upgrade: Minister to recommend go-ahead
The upgrade was first approved by the NI Executive in 2007
Stormont's Infrastructure Minister has announced he will be recommending that the planned upgrade of the A5 road should proceed.
The road is considered one of the most dangerous on the island of Ireland, claiming more than 50 lives since 2006.
The stretch of road links Londonderry with Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone.
Despite being approved by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2007, work has not yet started on the proposed dual carriageway upgrade.
It has been beset by numerous delays including legal challenges and uncertainty over funding.
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.
Today (Monday) in the Assembly Mr O'Dowd told MLAs that he would be recommending that the upgrade goes ahead.
He said: “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."
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