O’Dowd announces A5 construction to begin
Date published:
Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has announced his intention to proceed with construction of the first stretch of the A5 in early 2025.
This will see the first 55kms/34 miles of the project proceed from the proposed Junction 8 (south of Strabane) to the proposed Junction 15 near Ballygawley including the westward extension of the existing A4 Dual Carriageway.
Speaking after receiving Executive approval for the project to proceed, Minister O’Dowd said:
“I am pleased today to be able to outline the next steps for this crucial project.
“I can confirm that, following careful consideration of Planning Appeals Commission reports and the environmental impacts of the scheme, I have decided to start work with the first phase of the scheme, which will be between Strabane and Ballygawley.
“This is in line with the PAC recommendation that this section should proceed in the wider public interest. This would be the first phase of construction work, covering over half of the total project, 55km or 34 miles out of 85km or 53 miles, with my intention to make a formal decision on the remaining sections at the earliest opportunity.”
Continuing the Minister said:
“Too many lives have been cut short or forever changed by serious injury as a result of road traffic collisions on the A5. I have met with grieving families, and recently pupils from St Ciaran’s College, and I witnessed their heartache at first hand.
“My reason for starting with the Strabane to Ballygawley section is to ensure that this key element of the project is not delayed, particularly because this section has also had the most fatalities. Meanwhile further work will continue to consider and address the PAC recommendations in relation to the other two sections. I want to reassure everyone that I remain fully committed to delivering the entire project.
“As well as improving road safety, this Executive flagship project will provide for critically important infrastructure improvements. It will address regional imbalance, create jobs, benefit the economy and improve journey times for the thousands of daily users of this route.
“Today is in honour of all those who have lost their lives or who have been seriously injured on this road. We pay tribute to them and to those who campaigned so tirelessly in their memory for this upgrade to proceed.”
Having regard to the Environmental Statements and addenda, all other advice and environmental information and having regard also to the updated August 2024 Reports to Inform an Appropriate Assessment and the consultation responses to these assessments, together with the advice and recommendations from the public inquiries, the likely significant environmental effects of the Proposed Scheme have been assessed and the information presented is sufficient to inform judgements reached with regard to the decision to proceed with this part of the scheme.
The Appropriate Assessment which has been undertaken is reflected in the reports which will be published in the public Notice. In light of the content of the reports, it is considered that the construction and operation of this part of the scheme would not by itself, or in combination with other known plans or projects, adversely affect the integrity of SACs, SPAs and Ramsar sites in view of their conservation objectives.
In proceeding with the scheme, the Department commits to conducting the necessary actions to implement the PAC recommendations and mitigation measures as described in the Department’s Statement and the Environmental Statement and addenda.
Notes to editors:
- The general effect of the A5WTC whole project is to construct approximately 85 kilometres (53 miles) of new trunk road from just south of Derry at New Buildings, passing close to Strabane, Newtownstewart, Omagh, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy before terminating at the existing A5 just south of Aughnacloy. This decision to proceed is based on progressing a 55km (34miles) section of new trunk road between South of Strabane and Ballygawley.
- The emerging estimate for the whole scheme is in the region of £2.1Bn and for the part of the scheme being authorised, the emerging budget requirement is around £1.2Bn.
- In February 2024, the Irish Government announced new funding worth €800m (£685m) for Shared Island projects. This included a contribution of €600m (£515m) for the A5WTC. Also included in the announcement was confirmation that the Irish Government is advancing work on road projects linked to the A5WTC, including the N2 Clontibret and Donegal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) upgrades. These commitments were reinforced through the Joint Communique of the North South Ministerial Council Transport Sectoral meeting of 27 June 2024.
- Following a successful legal challenge to the scheme in 2013 in relation to compliance with the Habitats Directive, the Department has worked to address the area of concern raised by the Court ruling. The scheme was updated leading to the Ministerial announcement in February 2016 of publication of and consultation on the Environmental Statement; the Notice of Intention to Make a Direction Order; Notices of Intention to Make Vesting Orders and Notice of Intention to Make a Stopping-Up of Private Accesses Order.
- In April 2016, the Department appointed the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to hold public inquiries into the Environmental Statement and the above draft Orders (hereinafter referred to as the Public Inquiry). The Public Inquiry commenced on 4 October 2016 and concluded on 14 December 2016. The PAC Report from the Public Inquiry was received by the Department in May 2017.
- In November 2017, the Department’s Permanent Secretary decision to proceed with the project and to make the Statutory Orders was followed in December 2017 by a legal challenge by the Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A). Having given careful consideration to the decision of the Court of Appeal in Re Buick [2018] NICA 26, together with the provisions of the NI (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018, the Department decided that it was not in the public interest to continue defending the legal challenge brought about by the AA5A. Consequently, at a Court hearing in November 2018, the High Court quashed the decision to proceed of November 2017.
- In moving towards a fresh decision on whether to proceed with the scheme, the Department updated the ES 2016 with an Environmental Statement Addendum and supplementary information in March 2019, published for consultation during the period 26 March 2019 to 17 May 2019. The Department reappointed the PAC to hold a further Public Inquiry that was held in two stages and sat for a total of seven days during the period February to March 2020. In September 2020, the Department received an Interim Report on its findings from the inquiry from the PAC recommending an adjournment of the Public Inquiry 2020, to be reconvened when the Department had taken consideration of the recommendations outlined in their Report.
- The Department subsequently carried three further public consultations with new Environmental Statement Addendums and supplementary information in March 2022, November 2022, and January 2023. The PAC reconvened the Public Inquiry and held public sessions in May and June 2023 and issued their final report in September 2023 that contained 30 no recommendations.
- Regulation 43(1) of The Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (as amended) (“the Habitats Regulations”) (which implement in Northern Ireland Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (the Habitats Directive)) requires that a “competent authority”, before deciding to undertake, or give consent, permission or other authorisation for a plan or project which:
♦ is likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 site in Northern Ireland (either alone or in combination with other plans or projects); and
♦ is not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site shall make an appropriate assessment of the implications for the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives in line with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive. - The Appropriate Assessment must be undertaken by the “competent authority” as defined in Regulation 5 of the Habitats Regulations. The Department for Infrastructure is the “competent authority” for strategic road improvement schemes in Northern Ireland and it has therefore undertaken an Appropriate Assessment on the A5WTC project, which has been reviewed and revised as the project has progressed.
- An electronic version of the Departmental Statement can be viewed at A5 Western Transport Corridor – Departmental Statement and the PAC Report may be viewed at A5 Western Transport Corridor - PAC Report 2023. Electronic versions of all other documents relating to the project, may be viewed at http://www.a5wtc.com/
- All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
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