Infrastructure Minister has announced a significant
milestone for the A1 Junctions Phase 2 Road Improvement Scheme as
the first stage of procurement commences this week.
The Scheme which aims to provide safety improvements along the A1
dual carriageway between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland will
include the provision of 4 new grade separated ‘flyover'
junctions, the closing up of all gaps in the central reservation
and the construction of a continuous central reserve safety
barrier along the whole 25km route.
Minister O'Dowd said: “Major road schemes are an important
part of the work that is delivered by my Department as we seek to
reduce journey times, increase reliability and improve road
safety. I have been clear since taking up office that the
delivery of the A1 Junctions Phase 2 project is a priority for
me.
“I confirmed earlier this year that the scheme would progress to
the final delivery stage as a single package of works with
ringfenced funding going forward.
"Preparation for the procurement process has been moving forward
at pace and I am pleased to confirm that the first phase
commences this week with the advertisement of the
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. This will lead to the
identification of a restricted list of tenderers who will then be
asked to price the works.
“This is an important step in the delivery of this scheme which
will modernise and improve road safety on a key strategic road
carrying 40,000 vehicles per day. Following the completion
of all the procurement and statutory processes we hope to be in a
position to commence work on the scheme in early 2026.”
The full proposals can be viewed via the following
link: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/a1-junctions-phase-2-overview
