A1 upgrade: Safety upgrades may be broken into 'smaller phased packages'

Planned safety upgrades to the A1 dual carriageway may be broken into "smaller phased packages" due to budgetary pressures, according to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

Following a public inquiry, campaigners had been told that building work would begin by January 2023.

The A1 makes up the bulk of the Northern Ireland section of the main Belfast-Dublin road.

The Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said he is committed to the project.

Tens of thousands of vehicles travel on the road every day which brings significant risk.

Over the past 20 years, more than 40 people have lost their lives on the road, while many others have been seriously injured.

Sinéad Lunny had to use a wheelchair for six months following a crash on the A1

Sinéad Lunny said she was still living with the impact after being involved in a crash on the road between Banbridge and Dromore in 2008.

"I was driving a very small car at the time and a lorry was waiting [to cross] in the central reservation," she said.

"Immediately it came in to my pathway and I had nowhere to go but straight into the lorry.

"I ended up breaking my back, shattered my left foot, clavicle, pelvis, ribs etc and I was in a wheelchair for six months.

"I still have travel anxiety. Whenever my children were younger I couldn't kneel to play with them. I'm still quite awkward with my gait. I still have quite a lot of pain. Those central reservations need to go."

New flyovers proposed

There are dozens of central reservation crossing points along the stretch of road.

In January 2021, a public inquiry recommended that 111 of these gaps should be closed, with right turns prevented from more than 20 side roads.

Four new flyovers were also proposed.

At the time, then-Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said there was a two-year target on getting the £70m scheme on site.

"Officials are saying there is a window of about 24 months for construction to begin but I've made it very clear that I want this project to accelerate at pace," she told the BBC at the time.

Campaigners said it was a major source of frustration that, three years on, nothing has changed.

Karl Heaney was 27 when he died in the crash on the A1 in May 2018

Karl Heaney died in a crash on the A1 in 2018 after two cars accidentally drove down the wrong side of the carriageway.

His partner, Ciara Sands, said she had always hated the road because of the number of right turns and junctions.

"It feels like ages ago that we were sitting in Banbridge [at the public inquiry] going to talks about it, appealing to people, writing our statements," she said.

"And to hear it was finally being put through, that it was granted, it was great at the time - but since then it's just been a total stall."

'Exceptionally dangerous road'

Campaigners recently came to Stormont to renew their calls for the prompt delivery of the project.

At the rally Alliance Party MLA Patrick Brown said he hoped the issue would be discussed in the Assembly this week.

"Over 40 people have lost their lives on the A1 in the last 17 or so years," he said.

"It is an exceptionally dangerous road. Forty thousand vehicles use it every day.

"My plan is to present the petition that has over 12,000 signatures to the assembly in front of the infrastructure minister and call on him to prioritise funding and progress this vital scheme."

Campaigners have been calling for road improvements for years

A DfI spokesperson said: "Minister O'Dowd has been clear that he is fully committed to delivering this important road safety project.

"The statutory orders for the scheme were made in summer 2021 and work on the project is continuing through the development of contract documents and business case.

"In recognition of current and future potential funding challenges, the department is exploring options to deliver the project in smaller phased packages."