Delargy: A5 road upgrade will save lives

Sinn Féin Foyle MLA, Pádraig Delargy, has said upgrading the A5 road will save lives and connect the north west to the rest of the island.

The death of three men back in December on the road led to increased calls for Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon to ensure the A5 should be made safer to use.

Mr Delargy stated that the loss of 42 lives on the road since 2006 was a cycle that could be stopped with the A5 being upgraded.

Safety aside, he also said that connecting the North-West to the rest of Ireland would also help in attracting new jobs and investment to the area.
He said: “The recent tragedy on the A5 has left families, friends and a whole community utterly devastated.
“Forty-two people have lost their lives on this road since 2006, and many others have been affected with life changing injuries.

“It’s time to urgently upgrade the A5 road to improve safety and save lives.

“Upgrading this road has huge benefits, like connecting Derry to Dublin, creating jobs and attracting investment into the north west.

“The A5 upgrade must face no more delays and be ready for construction immediately following the public inquiry that will be held this year.”

In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said: “The Minister is very mindful of all of those who have tragically lost their lives on this road and the heartache suffered every day by their loved ones and is fully committed to the A5 Western Transport Corridor (WTC) flagship project.

“This crucial scheme is of significant strategic importance to the west, helping to tackle regional imbalance, improve the local economy and job opportunities for local communities and critically improve road safety.

“An Interim Report from the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) on its findings from the public inquiry held in February and March 2020 requested further assessments in relation to flood risk and scheme alternatives and that these be incorporated into a further addendum to the Environmental Statement to be published for public consultation.

“Work is ongoing at pace to complete the new Environmental Statement Addendum so that the public inquiry could be re-convened this year.

“A final report from the PAC public inquiry should then allow a new Ministerial decision to be taken and subject to the successful completion of the necessary statutory processes and environmental assessments, the construction of phase 1A of this important strategic and road safety scheme could then commence.

“The programme for scheme delivery in recent years has alluded to full scheme completion by 2028 and although some slippage has occurred, this timeframe remains achievable.”