O’Dowd unable to give estimated completion date for Newbuildings to Strabane section of A5 road scheme

The Infrastructure Minister said he was committed, however, to the completion of the entire road.

Last week Mr. O’Dowd gave the go-ahead for the first 34 miles of the road from Junction 8 south of Strabane, to the proposed Junction 15 near Ballygawley including the westward extension of the existing A4 Dual Carriageway.

It had originally been expected that the Newbuildings to Strabane phase of the road would proceed first.

Speaking in the Assembly this week Mr. O’Dowd said: “I reassure Members that I remain fully committed to progressing the entirety of the scheme and to taking a statutory decision on whether to proceed with the remaining parts, which go from Newbuildings to south of Strabane and from Ballygawley to the border south of Aughnacloy, at the earliest opportunity.

"My Department continues to work to progress those remaining parts.”

He spoke of how a 2023 Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) report ‘raised a number of issues with the length of road between Newbuildings and Strabane, the main one being the potential for increased flood risk in the River Foyle basin’.

"Work is ongoing to consider and address the PAC's recommendations on that. As part of that work, my officials have initiated and are progressing extensive engagement with the Irish Government's Department of Transport, Donegal County Council and the Office of Public Works (OPW).

"That work is ongoing, with the aim of developing a common position on how to mitigate the flood risks. I am confident that the issue, which the PAC raised, can be resolved in due course, and I do not see a reason to delay progress on other parts of the scheme,” he told MLAs.

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan asked the minister if he could give an estimated completion date for the entire project.

“It has been a long road and an extremely painful one for those who have lost loved ones on the A5 along the way, and I commend all those who have played a positive role in campaigning for change.

"The Minister has outlined well the rationale for his approach and the phasing of the project, but could he provide an estimated date of completion for the entire A5 scheme?” he asked.

Mr. O’Dowd said he was unable to give the Member an estimated time for the completion of the entire scheme now.

"The work that we are preparing to carry out on the phase that I have announced will take around five years from commencement, with a full phase of construction starting mid-next year and preparatory works and advance schemes starting early next year.

"I will most likely have to go through preparations for the other parts of the scheme similar to those that I have done for this one. The Newbuildings to Strabane and Ballygawley to Aughnacloy sections may require a public inquiry.

"All those procedures will have to be followed and will dictate the time before a final decision is made,” the minister said.

DUP MLA Gary Middleton also asked about the Newbuildings to Strabane section of the road.

"He highlighted the commitment to seeing the entire scheme developed. From listening to your responses, it is clear that the preparatory work on the Newbuildings to Strabane section will be some time away, not least if a further public inquiry is needed.

"If that is the case, has the Minister given any thought to improving the existing A5 road in the short term? Obviously, the road safety issues will still exist regardless of whether that section of the scheme happens,” said Mr. Middleton.

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Mr. O'Dowd responded: “In the past two years, we have spent considerable amounts of money on A5 schemes, particularly in the areas where the most significant collisions have been recorded. I, along with my officials, will keep that under review. Where continued investment is required, that will take place ahead of any planned upgrade.”

During his statement to MLAs Mr. O’Dowd explained that the current programme for construction of the length of the new road from south of Strabane through to the south of Omagh will commence by the middle of next year.

“Work on the length of road south of Omagh and Ballygawley will commence in early 2026. Total construction is estimated to take place over five years,” he stated, suggesting those sections of the road could be completed around 2030-31.

Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds asked the minister if he would ‘outline the rationale behind proceeding with what is effectively the middle of the project first’.

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Mr. O'Dowd replied: “The decision to move ahead with that section is in line with the PAC's recommendation. The section from Ballygawley to Aughnacloy was never confirmed in any of the previous announcements or reports; it has always been a work in progress.

"The section from Newbuildings to Strabane was confirmed in previous announcements and reports. When my officials were at the PAC's sittings, they presented a proposal on how, we believe, the flooding concerns in that area could be dealt with.

"The PAC continued to raise concerns about that. Therefore, rather than going ahead with an announcement about the two sections and possibly facing a successful legal challenge on both, we thought that it was better to fully understand and respond to the flooding concerns raised in the PAC’s report.”

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