Infrastructure Minister has reaffirmed her commitment
to delivering the A1 Junctions Phase 2 Scheme.
The Minister was speaking following a meeting with Monica Heaney,
Sinead Lunny and Cllr Joy Ferguson who are campaigning
to have the road upgraded.
Minister Kimmins said: “Every death on our roads is a
profound loss to families and communities and unfortunately the
A1 is a road where, over the years, too many collisions have
occurred, and too many lives have been forever changed by loss or
injury.
"I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Monica, Sinead and
Cllr Ferguson to provide an update on the
scheme. I greatly admire their courage in sharing their
heartbreaking experiences and I wholeheartedly support
their call for safety upgrades. I am committed to delivering this
scheme.
"I appreciate that some of the public commentary on the
impact of the A5 appeal on major projects has caused some
concern. However, it is vital that we get this right.
"It is critical that we consider the outcome of the appeal before
taking the next steps. We do not want to be in a scenario
where we face challenges on everything, which would further delay
the projects and increase costs.
“I recently instructed my officials to extend the restricted list
of tenderers for a period of 12 months, continuing to keep this
important scheme live, pending the outcome of the A5 appeal. This
is a contingency measure to keep the scheme live whilst the
appeal is underway. The procurement process can be resumed at any
stage.
"I remain as committed as ever to the delivery of this
vitally important road safety upgrade.”
