Fresh legal challenge submitted over Dublin to Derry road upgrade

By Rebecca Black, PA

Disappointment was expressed in the Stormont Assembly that a fresh legal challenge has been submitted to the A5 road upgrade.

The Northern Ireland Executive gave the green light for the long-awaited upgrade to the A5 in October, and work to turn the road into a dual carriageway is set to get under way on the Strabane to Ballygawley stretch early next year.

There have been 57 deaths on the A5, which links Derry and Donegal with Dublin, since 2006.

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

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan raised the fresh legal challenge in the Assembly during questions for Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd on Monday.

He said many will be disappointed by news of the fresh challenge, and asked the minister for an update.

Responding, Mr O’Dowd said there is due to be a hearing in the case on Tuesday.

“I share, I’m sure, the vast majority of members’ … great disappointment that this case has been brought forward,” he told MLAs.

“We’re all aware of the need for the A5 to save lives and open up the north west for greater connectivity. I can assure the member that my department will be defending this case very robustly.”

Asked around the potential of the challenge to delay the project, Mr O’Dowd said: “We will be seeking a speedy hearing of this case.

“Delays to capital projects of this scale have the potential, for example, a delay of a month can actually cost millions of pounds. We’re not at that stage yet but I think if we go much further into the new year then we are talking about millions of millions of pounds of public money going to waste.”