A5 WTC (New Road from Aughnacloy to Derry)

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Would the A6 not be crossing the river Foyle too?

Nope BB, it would terminate just at the river (as it currently does).

[Tony Baloney]

Bend over and squeeze Sammy, i'm sure there is more shit to dump on the west/south west.

I'm sure you mean North-West or SW Ulster 

What is the projected time saving on the A5 stretch?

I had a wee look on Google Maps and from Dublin to Derry currently it stands at:

via M1 (Newry, Armagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Maghera) it is 244km (3hrs 2mins)
via N2/A5 (Monaghan, Omagh, Strabane) it is 233km (3hrs 4mins)
via M1/A6 (Newry, Belfast, Maghera) it is 278km (3hrs 2mins)

Even traffic from elsewhere in Ireland via Mullingar or Athlone would go via some flavour of A5 upgrade?

Obviously Sammy is only thinking of Belfast to Derry traffic and doesn't recognise anything being south of Newry.

[Hereiam]

Looks like the prods have got their wa again. Jesus what other country would put up with this crap.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22063819

one thing for sure is that this has nothing to do with the environment...

[armaghniac]

I see that Sammy is playing silly buggers with the Narrow Water Bridge too. It seems that the effects of partition will remain on the map of Ireland notwithstanding the supposed parity of esteem.

[Dougal Maguire]

I see that Sammy is playing silly buggers with the Narrow Water Bridge too. It seems that the effects of partition will remain on the map of Ireland notwithstanding the supposed parity of esteem.

Have to agree with him on that one. No justification for this project. All it will do will be to scupper the Newry southern relief road which is the project that is really needed in this general area

[ziggysego]

Disgusted and sickened with the news.  After all the promises of a motorway for the West, since the ripping out of the rail network many decades ago, there was the hope we were finally going to get a much needed investment on the road infrastructure,  with the A5 project.

Now that has taken away from us along with any hope of an economic resurgence West of Bann. We already were playing catch up as it was, but this has effectively driven the final nail in the coffin.

Expect to see more people emigrating to Australia, Canada and other places across the globe in the coming months. There is no future here.

[Walter Cronc]

Disgusted and sickened with the news.  After all the promises of a motorway for the West, since the ripping out of the rail network many decades ago, there was the hope we were finally going to get a much needed investment on the road infrastructure,  with the A5 project.

Now that has taken away from us along with any hope of an economic resurgence West of Bann. We already were playing catch up as it was, but this has effectively driven the final nail in the coffin.

Expect to see more people emigrating to Australia, Canada and other places across the globe in the coming months. There is no future here.

Is is totally being shelved?? Surely not!! And they wonder why young people leave. Sometimes you wonder is a devolved government the answer when sectarian bitterness gets in the way of crucial infrastructure!

[EC Unique]

I would expect that this is far from over.

[armaghniac]

One wonders why the Roads Service did not respond to this sooner. The Omagh-Ballygawley section is not really involved with this rivers thing. They should have proposed to clear this section and proposed a new environmental impact assessment for the rest. They may still do this within the week, but you have to wonder if this delay did not have a political origin. 

[LeoMc]

One wonders why the Roads Service did not respond to this sooner. The Omagh-Ballygawley section is not really involved with this rivers thing. They should have proposed to clear this section and proposed a new environmental impact assessment for the rest. They may still do this within the week, but you have to wonder if this delay did not have a political origin.

Why would you think that a UU Roads Minister would drag his heels to scupper a road to the detriment of 2 SF constituencies at the behest of a few UU NIMBY's in West Tryrone?

[Maguire01]

I see that Sammy is playing silly buggers with the Narrow Water Bridge too. It seems that the effects of partition will remain on the map of Ireland notwithstanding the supposed parity of esteem.

Have to agree with him on that one. No justification for this project. All it will do will be to scupper the Newry southern relief road which is the project that is really needed in this general area

Yes, but we're being handed a big wad of EU cash for this one.

[Dougal Maguire]

Regardless of that its still a waste of money which can't be justified on traffic or economic grounds. Not surprised therefore that SEUPB would be supportive

[armaghniac]

All it will do will be to scupper the Newry southern relief road which is the project that is really needed in this general area

This is funded by the EU Inter-reg fund, and it is a proper use of this fund whose precise purpose is to fund things that might otherwise fall between the cracks. Sammy only has to pay for a short link to the bridge. It has nothing to do with Newry southern relief road. In any case, Sammy doesn't give a fúçk about Newry or its relief.

[Dougal Maguire]

I agree that Sammy doesn't give 2 fs about Newry and the southern relief road but regardless of this the fact that the Narrow Water bridge scheme might fall between the cracks is no justification for funding it. As I said earlier there are no traffic or economic grounds on which the scheme can be justified, at least fron a Newry/Warrenpoint perspective and if you speak confidentially to any officials in Newry Council or any of the directors of WHA they will tell you that. The fact that the scheme has been promoted by LCC should also surely set the alarm bells ringing in terms of who has most to gain from its construction

[armaghniac]

I agree that Sammy doesn't give 2 fs about Newry and the southern relief road but regardless of this the fact that the Narrow Water bridge scheme might fall between the cracks is no justification for funding it.

It is. That what Inter-Reg is for!

The fact that the scheme has been promoted by LCC should also surely set the alarm bells ringing in terms of who has most to gain from its construction

I see that you and Sammy have a similar perspective in this matter.