Infrastructure Minister appealing A5 judgement

The Infrastructure Minister in Northern Ireland, Liz Kimmins has confirmed that her Department will appeal the A5 judgement, which was announced at the end of June. She said that she is “prepared to do everything within my power to save lives on this stretch of road.”

Chairperson of the Assembly Infrastructure Committee, Deborah Erskine said the appeal was a “valid legal route to take, but one that will inevitably take time.”

The count had issues around climate targets, which had not been adequately addressed in their case and this along with farmer concerns be resolved will be key to asuccessful appeal.

This vital piece of infrastructure has the backing of the Northern Executive and the Irish Government. It is a flagship project for the Northern Ireland Executive, aiming to improve connectivity, competitiveness, and economic prosperity in the region.

The A5 road in Northern Ireland continues into the Republic of Ireland as the N2 road. The A5 starts in Derry, goes south through Strabane and Omagh, and crosses the border near Aughnacloy into County Monaghan, where it becomes the N2. The N2 then continues south towards Dublin, passing through Monaghan, Ardee and Ashbourne, linking up with the M50.

The A5 Western Transport Corridor is a major road development project in Northern Ireland aimed at upgrading the A5 to a dual carriageway from south of Derry to the border at Aughnacloy. The planned project was going to be delivered in phases.