Derry to Dublin A5 road project tops £100m

More than 50 people have been killed on the A5 since 2006

The money spent on the A5 road project has now surpassed £100m, according to officials at the Department for Infrastructure.

The 58-mile (85km) dual carriageway between Londonderry and the border at Aughnacloy was first announced in 2007, but has been beset by funding issues and legal challenges.

Politicians on Stormont's infrastructure committee have been told it has already cost £110m even though construction work yet to begin. In 2021, the figure stood at just over £80m.

BBC News NI has asked the department for a breakdown of the latest costs.

Officials from the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) also said a long-awaited decision on the A5 could be made "towards the end of the summer".

"There are still some outstanding elements but our intention is to put a series of papers to the executive over the summer with the view to a decision being taken later in the summer," Colin Hutchinson, the DFI's project director, told the committee.

Legal challenges

Fifty-seven people have died on the A5 since 2006, according to the department.

Families who have lost loved ones on the road have called for Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to prioritise the upgrade.

Officials told Stormont the planned upgrade would save lives.

A public inquiry in 2023 heard arguments for and against the scheme, and its final report contained 30 recommendations.

The committee was also told the infrastructure minister had not met representatives from the Alternative A5 Alliance, which has launched legal challenges against the scheme.

But it was confirmed DFI officials had been in contact with the lobby group.

The committee was also told the total cost of building the A5 currently stood at £1.7bn, with €600m (£508m) coming from the Irish government.