The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Northern Ireland has opened a £220m dualling scheme, while pausing the development of another major scheme on climate change grounds.
The A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe scheme, which opened to traffic on 6 April, provides 25.5km of dual carriageway including a bypass of Dungiven with new roundabouts connecting the scheme to the existing road network at either end.
In 2018 DfI awarded a contract worth £220m to a consortium of Sacyr, Wills Bros and Somague to build the Dungiven to Drumahoe scheme.
Along with the Randalstown to Castledawson scheme, which opened in 2021, it represents a spend of around £440m by DfI to upgrade road links between Derry and Belfast, with approximately three quarters of the route now ‘dual carriageway standard or better’.
The 14.7km Randalstown and Castledawson scheme was delivered by a joint venture of Farrans Construction and GRAHAM Construction.
?? The A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe Scheme opens to traffic this afternoon.
— Department for Infrastructure (@deptinfra) April 6, 2023
The A6 will greatly reduce journey times, improve road safety, as well as the environmental well being of Dungiven.
We spoke with our Director of Major Projects & Procurement, Kaine Lynch, to find out more. pic.twitter.com/GImNovSO05
Separately, DfI announced that it was pausing development of the A2 Buncrana Road Improvement Scheme.
It described the route as a key link that serves as the main corridor from the centre of Derry to industrial and residential areas, as well as a link to County Donegal.
The proposal includes the upgrade of the existing 4.1km two-lane carriageway to four lanes, including a footway and cycleway, with additional crossings along the route and a park and ride facility.
DfI said it is fully committed to progressing the road improvement scheme but that it is critical that the final design fully aligns with emerging transport, land use and climate change policies and plans.
Therefore it has decided to pause the development of the scheme until a new Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) and suite of Transport Plans are completed.
These ‘will set the new future direction of transport policy and investment enabling the reduced vehicle trips travelled and modal shift required to ensure that we address our climate change obligations under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022,' the DfI said.
