A5 road upgrade delays 'putting lives at risk', says Martina Anderson

The A5 dual carriageway scheme would link Dublin to the north west of Northern Ireland

Delays to the A5 road project are "an absolute scandal" that will lead to further deaths, a Stormont committee heard on Wednesday.

The A5 plan, estimated to cost £1.2bn, would connect Londonderry to the border at Aughnacloy and improve access to Dublin.

Sinn Féin assembly member (MLA) Martina Anderson told civil servants that setbacks were putting lives at risk.

The project is currently the subject of a third public inquiry.

Officials from the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) have been giving evidence to MLAs on its progress.

Construction faces further delays because of new assessments on flood risk and environmental impact, following a critical report by a planning appeals body.

It will then be subject to a reconvened public inquiry before the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) in 2022.

Departmental official Seamus Keenan told the Infrastructure Committee that "with a fair wind" construction could begin in 2023, but that was subject to statutory processes and the environmental impact assessment.

"So (there's) quite a bit of work to do," he said.

'Groundhog day'

Ms Anderson described the delays as "groundhog day" and urged the department to "get its ducks in a row" to avoid the project getting bogged down further.

"This is an absolute scandal, it's outrageous, because what we are talking about here is saving lives, cutting down journey times, as well as the economy and tackling regional inequalities," the Foyle MLA said said.

"We have been working our way through this for 15 years ... people will die as a consequence of the A5 not being built - that's a reality."

Martina Anderson strongly criticised the delays

The departmental officials said they had to follow the statutory processes in relation to the project.

In March, an interim report by the PAC following a public inquiry in spring 2020 found that the A5 scheme did not have an up-to-date assessment of the flood risk along parts of the route.

It said what was being relied on was "not fit for purpose" and predated significant flooding in the area in recent years.

It also questioned the rationale of proceeding with the compulsory purchase of land for phases where work was not scheduled and raised questions over the wider scheme funding.

It said alternatives involving town by-passes and upgrades of the existing road should be properly assessed.

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On Wednesday, the committee also heard further work was being prepared for plans for the York Street Interchange road project in north Belfast, which is currently "procurement ready".

The work would be submitted to Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon in the autumn and it would be up to her to make a decision on the project, according to officials.