1 year ago
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PA Media
"My priority and my determination is that we find a solution and we get this road built so that no more lives are lost," said Kimmins
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has said she is looking at "pursuing" an appeal into a ruling that the construction of the A5 project should not go ahead in its current form.
The 58-mile (94km) £1.7bn project was given the green light by Stormont ministers in October last year.
However, on 23 June a judge ruled that the construction of the project should not go ahead in its current form, saying the Department for Infrastructure's plans did not comply with climate change targets.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Kimmins said: "It is my intention that we will look at pursuing an appeal that will require executive agreement and we're exploring the logistics in relation to that".
The 58-mile (94km) £1.7bn project was given the green light in October 2024
"My priority and my determination is that we find a solution and we get this road built so that no more lives are lost," said Kimmins, at a press conference on Tuesday.
What is the A5?
The road is the Northern Ireland part of the major arterial route that connects the north-west of the island - Donegal and Londonderry - to Dublin, via towns including Strabane, Omagh and Aughnacloy.
More than 50 people have died on the A5 since 2006 and campaigners have called for the road to be upgraded.
The dual carriageway scheme was first announced back in 2007, but has been beset by a number of delays.
The judicial review proceedings that culminated in Judge McAlinden's decision on 23 June, involved a group of residents, landowners and farmers who mounted a fresh challenge against the decision to begin construction work.
The umbrella group, known as the Alternative A5 Alliance, contended it would breach legislative targets to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
