The A5: Let this finally be the end of the beginning - View from the Foyle

On 31 August 1995, my father, Terry, left home for work as he had done countless times before. He never came home. He was killed on the A5 at Bready, and our family has lived with that loss ever since. More than thirty years later, it is still felt every day.

That is why the Court of Appeal's decision to clear the way for the A5 upgrade matters so much.

For families like mine, this isn't simply about a road. It is about empty chairs at dinner tables, birthdays missed, grandchildren never met and lives that should have been lived.

More than fifty people have lost their lives on the A5 since plans for the upgrade were first announced. Behind every one of those tragedies is a family whose life was changed forever.

For almost twenty years, we've seen plans drawn up and watched, with growing frustration, as legal challenges delayed progress. Meanwhile, people continued to travel a road that everyone knows needs to be made safer.

I recognise that landowners and local residents have genuine concerns. Losing land, facing compulsory purchase, or worrying about environmental impacts are serious issues. Those concerns deserve respect and fair treatment.

But they must also be balanced against the wider public interest and the need to prevent further loss of life.

I understand the economic importance of the A5. Better connectivity will support investment, strengthen supply chains, and create opportunities across the North West.

But the economic case is secondary.

First and foremost, this is about safety. It is about reducing the risk that another family receives the knock at the door that changes everything.

This judgment is not the end of the journey. What matters now is delivery. We need to see construction begin. We need to see progress on the ground. And we need to see a safer A5 built.

Let this finally be the end of the beginning for this deadly road.

Stephen Kelly

CEO, Manufacturing NI.