A29 Cookstown Bypass - overview

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DfI Roads Western Division are progressing the design and development of the A29 Cookstown Bypass. Details of the scheme and development of scheme assessment reports is detailed below.

Need for scheme

At present, the A29 runs north to south through the centre of Cookstown, County Tyrone, connecting Coleraine on the north coast to Cookstown, Dungannon and onwards to Armagh City. The A29 is a trunk road and has been classified as one of four link corridors within the transport network of Northern Ireland.

Through the town centre of Cookstown the A29 acts as a spine road serving both strategic (through) traffic and local traffic. The conflicting trips create congestion, causing delays and driver frustration. The needs of public transport and pedestrians also add to the congestion.

The removal of through traffic from the town centre would assist in reducing conflict between strategic and local traffic and thus assist in the reduction of both congestion and the risk of accidents. The current adverse effects of severance, noise, air quality and the impact on townscape are also likely to be reduced. This is expected to improve the quality of life for residents and attract more visitors and shoppers to the historic wide street town.

The proposed scheme

The Proposed Scheme comprises approximately 4km of carriageway extending from Loughry roundabout on the A29 Dungannon Road to the south of Cookstown, to a proposed new roundabout on the A29 Moneymore Road to the north. There would also be carriageway improvements to Sandholes Link Road.

As part of the Proposed Scheme, a new shared footway/cycleway would be created along the length of the bypass, connecting to the existing pedestrian and cycle network. A new shared footway/cycleway is also proposed on Sandholes Link Road.

The route has been designed as a wide single carriageway, with overtaking opportunities in both directions. New roundabouts will be situated at intersections with the Killymoon Road, Cloghog Road and Moneymore Road with hard strips and verges on both sides with a design speed of 100kph (60mph).

In parallel with design development, it is also proposed to commission a separate feasibility study on how the decongestion benefits of the proposed bypass can facilitate the enhancement and reshaping of Cookstown town centre to promote sustainable travel choices, connect people and communities and create a thriving and liveable space.

Current position

The Department is currently investigating the social value opportunities that this scheme could bring to Cookstown. Social value allows organisations to consider how their activities can create positive benefits for residents, businesses and stakeholders that may be impacted by their projects.

To maximise the benefits of the A29 Cookstown Bypass, DfI will be engaging with the public through an online Social Value consultation, opening at 12 pm on Monday 29 September 2025 and closing at 5 pm on Monday 10 November 2025. We invite you to participate in this engagement by completing the online survey available on our dedicated website: www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/consultations/a29-cookstown-bypass-social-value

We will also be hosting an in-person event between 2 pm and 8 pm on Tuesday 7 October 2025 at the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown. Your input is vital in helping us shape meaningful social value outcomes for Cookstown and the wider Mid Ulster area.

Publication Of Draft Orders & EIAR

The draft Statutory Orders and Environmental Impact Assessment Report were published on 03 April 2024. Following the consultation period, it was agreed to hold a Public Inquiry on the scheme which commenced on 22 October 2024 and concluded on the 24 October 2024. The Inspector’s Report was received by the Department in February 2025 and the recommendations have been carefully reviewed. Overall the report is considered to be positive towards the scheme. Further information relating to Public Inquiry is detailed below:

The EIAR and draft Statutory Orders were published week commencing Monday 1 April 2024 on the Department’s website and the consultation period ended on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

In accordance with Article 67(6) of The Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, as amended by the 2017 Roads (EIA) Regulations, the EIAR and technical assessments which inform it have been undertaken by a suitably qualified project team. A statement from the Department confirming this is detailed in Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 1.10.

A public information day was also held at The Burnavon, Burn Road Cookstown on Tuesday 16 April 2024. The event provided an opportunity to engage with Departmental staff and the engineering consultants who provided detail on work to date and the next steps in progressing the scheme. The latest scheme brochure and 3D fly through video is available online via the following links.

Scheme documents

Archived Documents from 2008 - 2021

Updated September 2025

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