Minister ‘as committed as ever’ to A1 upgrade plans
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has reaffirmed her commitment to delivering the A1 Junctions Phase 2 Scheme.
The Minister was speaking after a meeting with Monica Heaney, Sinead Lunny and Cllr Joy Ferguson, who are campaigning to have the road upgraded.
Newry-based campaigner, Ms Heaney, whose son, Karl, was killed on the A1 between Dromore and Banbridge in 2018, said: “We are asking the Minister to proceed with the A1 safety upgrades due to the distinct difference between the A5 and A1.
“The A5 is a new road costing £1.7 billion, stretching 58 miles, across 800 hectares of land, whereas the A1 safety improvements upgrade an existing road over 13 miles.
“I want to save lives on the A1 and prevent other families from experiencing grief due to road collisions.
“Safety on an existing major road should be top of the infrastructure agenda. I urge the Minister to separate the two projects and present a transparent case for carbon abatement that allows the A1 to proceed.”
Minister Kimmins said: “Every death on our roads is a profound loss to families and communities and unfortunately the A1 is a road where, over the years, too many collisions have occurred and too many lives have been forever changed by loss or injury.
"I welcomed the opportunity to meet Monica, Sinead and Cllr Ferguson to provide an update on the scheme. I greatly admire their courage in sharing their heartbreaking experiences and I wholeheartedly support their call for safety upgrades. I am committed to delivering this scheme.
"I appreciate that some of the public commentary on the impact of the A5 appeal on major projects has caused some concern. However, it is vital that we get this right.
"It is critical that we consider the outcome of the appeal before taking the next steps.
“I recently instructed my officials to extend the restricted list of tenders for a period of 12 months, continuing to keep this important scheme live, pending the outcome of the A5 appeal. This is a contingency measure to keep the scheme live whilst the appeal is underway. The procurement process can be resumed at any stage.
"I remain as committed as ever to the delivery of this vitally important road upgrade.”