Northern Ireland slashes planned road schemes | Planning, Building …

The Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland has put 17 of 28 planned road schemes on pause, citing financial and environmental constraints

Citing the department’s “challenging budgetary position”, as well as “constrained resources and commitments under the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022”, only nine of the 28 planned road schemes now look likely to go ahead.

The department’s statement continued: “This combination of factors has changed the landscape considerably, meaning delivery of the major roads programme as previously set out is no longer sustainable nor appropriate.”

Seven of the surviving nine schemes being prioritised are road schemes^[1], with one footbridge and a single light rail development.  All paused projects are road building.

Schemes that survived the cull:

• A6 Randalstown/Castledawson (£1.6bn)
• A5 Western Transport Corridor (£1.6bn)
• A6 Derry/Dungiven Phase 1 (£170m-£200m)
• A6 Derry/Dungiven Phase 2 (£170m-£200m
• Belfast Rapid Transit 2 (£142m-£148m)
• Newry Southern Relief Road (£85m-£100m)
• A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass (£25m-£30m)
• A29 Cookstown Bypass (£55m-£65m)
• Lagan Pedestrian & Cycle Bridge (£12.9m)

There are still some questions about funding and timelines

Construction on the first phase of the £1.6bn A5 Western Transport Corridor scheme could start in May 2024, while the earliest feasible construction start for the £100m Newry Southern Relief Road would be 2028.

Current work streams will also be completed on York Street Interchange (£120m-£165m) and A32 Cornamuck schemes (£5m-£6.5m)- despite no funding having been identified for either scheme.

Paused Northern Ireland road schemes include:

• A2 Buncrana Road
• A24 Ballynahinch Bypass
• A55 Knock Road Widening
• A28 Armagh East Link
• A32 Esker Bog
• A3 Armagh North and West Link
• A2 Ballykelly Bypass
• A2 Sydenham Bypass
• A32 Kilgortnalegue
• M1 / A1 Sprucefield Bypass
• A3 Portadown to Richill Dualling
• A26 Ballymoney to Coleraine
• A26 Nuts Corner to Moira
• A4 Fivemiletown Bypass
• M2 / A8(M) Sandyknowes Junction Upgrade
• Shaftesbury Link
• M1 Slip Roads at Blacks Road

All other schemes will be paused, and future progress will be determined by the department’s emerging transport plans and any decision by a future infrastructure minister, the statement concluded.

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References

1. ^{^} road schemes (www.pbctoday.co.uk)
2. ^{^} here (www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)