A5 WTC (New Road from Aughnacloy to Derry)

[GJL]

Who is to blame here. Surely Sinn Fein can get more done on this??? F*CK we hear more about casement than this road!!!

It's a microcosm of NI. A complete failure in politics by all the parties, government and Civil Servants. Nothing is ever done. Nothing is ever achieved.

Muddying the waters and ignoring the real reason for the delays. Things can get done. Other roads are done routinely. This project has not gotten off the ground purely as a result of obstruction by the 'Alternative A5 Alliance' group of landowners, and they should not be let off the hook like that when we get tragedies like todays.

As the Tyrone County Board noted at the launch of their 'A5: Enough is Enough' launch in January:

The A8 road scheme between Belfast and Larne started in May 2008 and was completed in December 2016. That was 7 years, 6 months and 25 days from beginning to end.
If the A5 had been delivered in a similar timeframe 22 of the A5 deaths might well have been avoided. At the current rate at least another 4 deaths will occur on the A5 in 2023.

Sadly it seems at least one of those 4 deaths has now occurred already. Who'd realistically expect the number to only reach 4 by the end of this year?

Put them blame squarely where it f**king belongs.

I agree the AA5A have been the road blocking organisation but with correct political oversight and a proper run civil service this should already have been built. Like you said other roads get built and you think nobody is objecting to them?

I should say that I spoke with Nicola Mallon when she ran the Infrastructure department and the goings on was ridiculous. They wouldn't agree to anything. Everything needed another meeting. At times they held meeting before and after meeting her with no minutes. The carry on was of a group of people trying to keep their jobs while doing very little work. Health and Infrastructure were the last two portfolios picked the last time D'Hondt was run. There's a reason for that.

Sorry, but the blame for that lies squarely with their boss... who was Nichola

When the project was announced and agreed Conor Murphy (SF) was the minister. Danny Kennedy (UUP), Michelle McIlveen (DUP) and Chris Hazard (SF) have all held the post. Do they not all share blame?

Furthermore - it is not lazy to blame the CS and ministers. The land had already went through a compulsory purchase and in the New Buildings area had been fenced off in preparation of the road starting (roughly 2014 / 15 from memory). Why was that done if the road was still undergoing a legal challenge?
Incompetence has dogged the project. CS shitheads who would be completely unemployable in the private workplace.

And how did the erection of a bit fencing delay the road? Your claim was that the road would be complete by now were it not for the incompetence of politicians and civil servants, which is a wholly stupid thing to say. The delay have been down to the succession of legal challenges by the morally bankrupt AA5A group. Are you suggesting that politicians and civil servants should have cracked on with the construction and ignored the legal procedures they are bound by?

If I recall correctly there was in the region of £100m spent back in the day on the fencing etc! All lost now of course. Complete incompetency!

[TabClear]

Who is to blame here. Surely Sinn Fein can get more done on this??? F*CK we hear more about casement than this road!!!

The people to blame are the 'Alternative A5 Alliance' group. They have furstrated and delayed the process at every turn with a succession of legal challenges etc and the blood of every victim who dies on that road is on their hands. Let there be no doubt or confusion or muddying the waters about that.

Who is bankrolling this group? Legal challenges cant be cheap, even for your normal "landowner"

[trailer]

Who is to blame here. Surely Sinn Fein can get more done on this??? F*CK we hear more about casement than this road!!!

It's a microcosm of NI. A complete failure in politics by all the parties, government and Civil Servants. Nothing is ever done. Nothing is ever achieved.

Muddying the waters and ignoring the real reason for the delays. Things can get done. Other roads are done routinely. This project has not gotten off the ground purely as a result of obstruction by the 'Alternative A5 Alliance' group of landowners, and they should not be let off the hook like that when we get tragedies like todays.

As the Tyrone County Board noted at the launch of their 'A5: Enough is Enough' launch in January:

The A8 road scheme between Belfast and Larne started in May 2008 and was completed in December 2016. That was 7 years, 6 months and 25 days from beginning to end.
If the A5 had been delivered in a similar timeframe 22 of the A5 deaths might well have been avoided. At the current rate at least another 4 deaths will occur on the A5 in 2023.

Sadly it seems at least one of those 4 deaths has now occurred already. Who'd realistically expect the number to only reach 4 by the end of this year?

Put them blame squarely where it f**king belongs.

I agree the AA5A have been the road blocking organisation but with correct political oversight and a proper run civil service this should already have been built. Like you said other roads get built and you think nobody is objecting to them?

I should say that I spoke with Nicola Mallon when she ran the Infrastructure department and the goings on was ridiculous. They wouldn't agree to anything. Everything needed another meeting. At times they held meeting before and after meeting her with no minutes. The carry on was of a group of people trying to keep their jobs while doing very little work. Health and Infrastructure were the last two portfolios picked the last time D'Hondt was run. There's a reason for that.

Sorry, but the blame for that lies squarely with their boss... who was Nichola

When the project was announced and agreed Conor Murphy (SF) was the minister. Danny Kennedy (UUP), Michelle McIlveen (DUP) and Chris Hazard (SF) have all held the post. Do they not all share blame?

Furthermore - it is not lazy to blame the CS and ministers. The land had already went through a compulsory purchase and in the New Buildings area had been fenced off in preparation of the road starting (roughly 2014 / 15 from memory). Why was that done if the road was still undergoing a legal challenge?
Incompetence has dogged the project. CS shitheads who would be completely unemployable in the private workplace.

And how did the erection of a bit fencing delay the road? Your claim was that the road would be complete by now were it not for the incompetence of politicians and civil servants, which is a wholly stupid thing to say. The delay have been down to the succession of legal challenges by the morally bankrupt AA5A group. Are you suggesting that politicians and civil servants should have cracked on with the construction and ignored the legal procedures they are bound by?

Why did the CS allow the land to be fenced if it was still open to legal challenge? Why have the CS allowed legal challenge upon legal challenge? You realise this is ongoing 15+ years? Some going for one group to hold up a project for that long. They of course are the blockage, I agree with you, but why hasn't the dept got it ducks in a row? Sheer incompetence.

[trailer]

Who is to blame here. Surely Sinn Fein can get more done on this??? F*CK we hear more about casement than this road!!!

The people to blame are the 'Alternative A5 Alliance' group. They have furstrated and delayed the process at every turn with a succession of legal challenges etc and the blood of every victim who dies on that road is on their hands. Let there be no doubt or confusion or muddying the waters about that.

Who is bankrolling this group? Legal challenges cant be cheap, even for your normal "landowner"

Another gripe I have is that reporters will say "An AA5A spokeperson says..." f**king name them. They can't remain faceless!

[Ty4Sam]

3 more dead today with a couple more critical, enough is enough. Like 99% of people from Tyrone and those who use this road, I'm just tired talking/arguing about this. A5 Alliance should hang their heads in shame, we know that they won't though. This needs sorted and sorted very quickly!

[pbat]

3 confirmed dead, desperate stuff.

[Snapchap]

As the Tyrone County Board noted at the launch of their 'A5: Enough is Enough' launch in January:

The A8 road scheme between Belfast and Larne started in May 2008 and was completed in December 2016. That was 7 years, 6 months and 25 days from beginning to end.
If the A5 had been delivered in a similar timeframe 22 of the A5 deaths might well have been avoided. At the current rate at least another 4 deaths will occur on the A5 in 2023.

Sadly it seems at least one of those 4 deaths has now occurred already. Who'd realistically expect the number to only reach 4 by the end of this year?

As mentioned earlier, the Tyrone County Board predicted in January that at the existing rate of deaths on the A5, there would be four more fatalities on the road by the end of 2023. It's now been confirmed that three lives were lost on it today alone.

Needlessly.

[Walter Cronc]

FFS this is a complete disgrace.

[Nanderson]

Thankfully i've never had to drive on this road before. What is the issues with it? Bendy road? Loads of crossings?

[Walter Cronc]

Thankfully i've never had to drive on this road before. What is the issues with it? Bendy road? Loads of crossings?

Others will know better than me but I recently was on it - winding bends, overtaking lanes (utter disaster), volume of traffic and tractors were the main observations. People forced to take needless risks.

[trailer]

Thankfully i've never had to drive on this road before. What is the issues with it? Bendy road? Loads of crossings?

Others will know better than me but I recently was on it - winding bends, overtaking lanes (utter disaster), volume of traffic and tractors were the main observations. People forced to take needless risks.

The sheer volume of traffic and the different types, Agricultural, heavy haulage, commuters, school runs/buses all sorts. Hills, bends, busy intersections. It's everything all in one. Unfortunately more lives will be lost.

RIP to those who have lost their lives today.

[Hereiam]

I have to pull out onto this road numerous times a day and at peak times you could site for 5-8 minutes waiting on a chance to get out.
The road is not fit for purpose, its as simple as that. The reason this road hasn't been built is down to 2 reasons
1. The fact that it was going to provide a transport link between Monaghan and Donegal which the Unionist wont allow (not an inch)
2. It is west of the Bann and we cant have them getting new roads.

[Walter Cronc]

I have to pull out onto this road numerous times a day and at peak times you could site for 5-8 minutes waiting on a chance to get out.
The road is not fit for purpose, its as simple as that. The reason this road hasn't been built is down to 2 reasons
1. The fact that it was going to provide a transport link between Monaghan and Donegal which the Unionist wont allow (not an inch)
2. It is west of the Bann and we cant have them getting new roads.

How can local farmers have so much sway in a nationalist dominated area! West Tyrone MP has been SF a long long time.. these pricks need the land taken off them and the road built

[clarshack]

Seen the Police had to put out a statement for people not to be taking/sharing pictures of the crash scene.
Wtf is wrong with people? there should be a law where anyone caught taking or sharing such images goes to prison. No exceptions.

I think this also happened to some poor woman who died in a crash on the M50.

[RedHand88]

Seen the Police had to put out a statement for people not to be taking/sharing pictures of the crash scene.
Wtf is wrong with people? there should be a law where anyone caught taking or sharing such images goes to prison. No exceptions.

The photo on the BBC website leaves little to the imagination.