Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has paused two-thirds of its major road schemes, citing both financial and environmental reasons.
The DfI has published a 'prioritised' list of just nine major road schemes that will continue to be progressed out of a previous 28.
It said prioritising had been necessary because of its ‘challenging budgetary position’, along with constrained resources and commitments under the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022.
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’.
The list of roads to be prioritised includes the closing out of projects that have been recently constructed, as well as the continued development of schemes that have been identified as Executive Flagship projects and those included within City and Growth Deals.
Road schemes to be prioritised:
- A6 Randalstown/Castledawson
- A6 Derry / Dungiven Phase 1
- A5 Western Transport Corridor
- A6 Derry / Dungiven Phase 2
- Belfast Rapid Transit 2
- Lagan Pedestrian & Cycle Bridge
- Newry Southern Relief Road
- A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass
- A29 Cookstown Bypass
Work will also continue on the A1 Junctions Phase 2 scheme, to finalise the Business Case and complete the preparation of the contract documents. In addition, current work streams will also be completed on York Street Interchange and A32 Cornamuck schemes.
The (still) planned Newry Southern Relief Road
All other schemes will be paused and their place on a future major works programme 'will be informed by the Department’s emerging transport plans and any decision by a future Infrastructure Minister'.
Paused schemes:
- 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
In April, the DfI announced that it was pausing development of the A2 Buncrana Road Improvement Scheme.
It re-iterated that it is ‘committed’ to progressing the scheme but that it is critical that the final design fully aligns with emerging transport, land use and climate change policies and plans.
