A5 consultants to earn £32m

The firm - appointed by Roads Service to the A5 project in October 2007 - are scheduled to receive a total of 32million for providing professional advice on a wide range of issues including engineering, environmental, economic and traffic aspects of the scheme.

Roads Minister Conor Murphy confirmed: "Roads Service has to date paid Mouchel 15,583,276, in relation to development work completed to date, on the A5 Western Transport Corridor project.

"It is anticipated that they will be paid around 32m under their current commission, which extends to the end of the Public Inquiry phase.

"If a successful outcome is obtained at Public Inquiry, it is anticipated that further costs to completion of the project, would be in the order of 15-20 million."

Access

Meanwhile, the Minister also confirmed that tractors and self-propelled agricultural machinery will have access to the proposed new A5 Western Transport Corridor when it is completed.

But due to the limited number of access points along the roads 86 kilometres it is not envisaged local farmers will use the road.

The Minister stated: "My Department's Roads Service has advised that tractors and self-propelled agricultural vehicles will have access to the A5 Western Transport Corridor on completion of the proposed upgrade to dual carriageway standard.

"However, access to the new carriageway will only be available at a limited number of key junctions along its 86 kilometre length, with no direct access from adjacent lands.

"Therefore, it is envisaged that, when this scheme is completed, local agricultural traffic will continue to use the existing A5 carriageway, which provides more convenient access to the local road network and farmlands."

The Minister revealed the information in response to a query tabled by DUP MLA for West Tyrone Allan Bresland.