Member's statement: A1: Safety Improvements
Member's statement by Mr Patrick Brown on .
- MLA
- Mr Patrick Brown
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 5 March 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- A1: Safety Improvements
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4252367
Read the official Assembly record
Text
In light of the positive news received recently from the Irish Government that they plan to contribute €600 million to the A5 north-west corridor through the Shared Island initiative, I want to make clear the continued need for investment in road safety improvements for the A1. Like the A5, the A1 is a vital North/South transport route, carrying around 40,000 vehicles per day on the economic corridor between Belfast and Dublin. Yet, it remains one of the most dangerous roads in the country, with 41 people losing their lives on it in the last 17 years. I pay particular tribute to Monica Heaney of campaign group A1: How Many Must Die?, who has tirelessly campaigned for improvements since her son was tragically killed in a collision near Banbridge in May 2018.
While phase 2 of the A1 junction scheme will improve travel time on that key route, its primary benefit, much like that of the A5, will be to enhance road safety and prevent further loss of life. It should rightly be prioritised in the Department for Infrastructure's major roads programme. The investment secured for the A5 is a reminder to the House, now that it is restored, to redouble our efforts to secure adequate funding for the A1 junction scheme, which, having been estimated to cost £70 million in 2020, pales in comparison with more substantial schemes. Every day, the road represents an unacceptable risk to life. Given its clear importance for road safety, I call on the Minister for Infrastructure to prioritise the scheme in his Department's capital budget and to explore ways of working with our partners in the South to secure funding for it.
278 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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