The executive department leading the overdue A5 road project is bracing itself for a new and last-minute legal challenge.
The project was first agreed by the Executive in 2007, with a series of challenges thwarting its progress before it was given the go-ahead last month by Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd.
The decision from Mr O’Dowd came after a third public inquiry which held last summer, which heard from families of 57 people who have lost their lives on the road since it was first agreed.
Work had begun on vesting orders for the £2bn project, with construction work expected to begin in early 2025.
However, DfI has now received “pre-action correspondence” in relation to a potential legal challenge, which could hold the project up further.
It has not been made public at this stage who is behind the latest legal action.
Local representatives say any further delay to the construction of the new road, which will see dual carriageway introduced between Derry and Aughnacloy, would be “unacceptable”.
“The prospect of yet another legal challenge to the A5 is unacceptable,” West Tyrone MP Órfhlaith Begley said.
“Delays will ultimately cost lives. The obstructing and delaying of this vital project is jeopardising the safety of the local community and all road users.
“The A5 must be delivered without delay.”
A public inquiry held at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh in the summer of 2023 heard that the road safety benefits of the project were clear, and not disputed by objectors to the plans.
However, concerns have been raised by compulsory purchase of land along the A5, as well as environmental issues.
Mr O’Dowd said he was “extremely disappointed that this action has been taken as it will potentially have huge consequences for the public purse and for road safety”.
“Any further delay on this project not only has cost implications for taxpayers but, more importantly, every day that goes by risks another family receiving devastating news about a loved one that will shatter their lives,” he said.
Niall McKenna, chair of the A5 Enough is Enough group said they were “appalled” at the news of a potential legal challenge.
“This scheme was first approved in July 2007. In the following 17 years, over 50 people have tragically lost their lives on this unsafe road.
“At the PAC public inquiry in Omagh last summer, the people of this area made their feelings absolutely clear; the new road must be delivered immediately.”
The Alternative A5 Alliance, a group representing some of those opposed to the project in the past, has been contacted.