A Northern Ireland roads expert has said he is confident that the Department for Infrastructure has done the work required to see the A5 Western Transport Corridor approved.
A public inquiry into the much-delayed dual carriageway between Derry and Aughnacloy resumed on Monday after a series of delays as a result of legal challenges from objectors.
The inquiry will take place this week in the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh before pausing ahead of a second session in Omagh Enterprise Centre later this month.
READ MORE: Mum of man who died in A5 road crash on anguish of hearing of Aughnacloy triple tragedy
47 people have lost their lives on what campaigners call the ‘most dangerous road in Ireland’ since the scheme was first granted Executive approval in 2007.
NI roads expert Wesley Johnston says he believes the Department for Infrastructure will have learned from previous ‘errors’ it has made as part of the scheme, including in the last two years since the public inquiry was adjourned.
“It has taken all of this time to get that additional information, and given the legal challenges they have lost in the past I’m quite certain they will have dotted every I and crossed every T to make sure it’s not open to legal challenge. I think they will be very confident this time around.
“I think they have upped their game because the first legal challenge which they lost in 2012, they lost that because they had done their environmental assessments adequately. That was a mistake on their part.
“With hindsight I think it was also a mistake to bring the entire scheme through the planning process as one giant scheme.
“I would expect that the Inspector will probably approve the scheme and at that point DfI will want to very quickly move to construction because a contractor has already been appointed.
“You could see work getting underway towards the end of next year in the best case scenario, but if there was another legal challenge that could be delayed again.”
The group behind the series of legal challenges to the scheme is the Alternative A5 Alliance, who say they want to see the road improved but argue other alternatives such as upgrading the existing A5 have not been properly considered.
It has been criticised by many for its stance, with families bereaved by crashes on the A5 calling for the group to withdraw its objections and not bring forward any further legal challenges. However, Johnston says there is nothing to suggest that the Alternative A5 Alliance has softened its position.
“I don’t have any reason to think their opposition has softened in any way, they probably will be watching very closely and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they brought another legal challenge,” he says.
“They haven’t said anything publicly to make us think that, I don’t think there’s any reason to conclude that.”
As well as the legal challenges, how the project would be funded is also expected to be problematic as projected costs have doubled from £800m to £1.6bn in the sixteen years since it was put forward.
Calls have been made for the Irish government to increase its funding commitment for the new road following after it announced a €65bn budget surplus over the next four years.
Roads expert Johnston says: “The main difficulty we have is that even if the scheme got permission tomorrow to be built, we wouldn’t actually have the money to build it anyway because it’s too expensive.
“The Irish government can obviously spend money on whatever they like, but it is timely that they would be talking about this massive budget surplus.
“They initially offered to fund half the road, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for us to go and at least have the discussion about whether they would be willing to increase their contribution to make it happen.”
Supporters of the road project including members of the Tyrone GAA’s Enough is Enough campaign group and bereaved families were in attendance at the resumption of the public inquiry on Monday.
Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP Órfhlaith Begley said the inquiry represents an ‘important opportunity’ for people to voice support for the project.
"Building the new A5 road will help prevent more families from suffering the heartbreak of losing someone on one of Ireland’s most dangerous roads,” the MP said.
“It will also cut journey times, create jobs, and unlock huge economic opportunities by connecting the north west to the rest of the island.
“This project has been held up for too long by legal challenges and public inquiries. Once these challenges are overcome, it must proceed immediately with no more delays.”
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