New A5 road upgrade would prevent 1000 collisions

Cattle graze contently on pastures which will carry the new A5 motorway. A water drill marker, where the new road will run through, is fences off in the foreground.

The road safety claim was made this week at the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Department of Regional Development.

The proposed dual carriageway remains delayed — but has not been halted. The 53-mile western corridor plan forms part of a proposed key cross-border business route linking Dublin and the north west.

The Executive has insisted it remains committed to the partnership project with the Irish government — although the £110m earmarked for it is being reallocated.

In April of last year, the High Court blocked permission for construction on the stretch between Derry and Aughnacloy following a legal challenge from campaign group the Alternative A5 Alliance made up of farmers, landowners and their supporters.

The group won a judicial review after a ruling that an environmental impact assessment had not been carried out properly, although the department says the work is now ongoing.

Mr Kennedy decided not to appeal the verdict, blocking any immediate go-ahead for the project, but appears determined to press on.