Causeway Coast and Glens councillors' concern over roads projects put on hold

These include the A2 Ballykelly bypass and the A26 upgrade from Ballymoney to Coleraine. Department for Infrastructure (DfI) permanent secretary Julie Harrison has taken the decision on how to prioritise the major roads programme, with a letter to the council setting out the implications.

On the A2 Ballykelly bypass, development work has been paused. A decision to recommence development work is to be considered following the publication of Regional Strategic Transport Network Transport Plan (RSTNTP).

Meanwhile, development work on the A26 has not yet started. Again, a decision to commence development work will be considered following publication of the RSTNTP. As such, at a meeting on Tuesday, September 5, the council agreed to write to Harrison asking when the RSTNTP will be published for consultation.

Development work is also paused on Phase 2 of the A6 Derry to Dungiven scheme. According to the letter to council, future development work is to be scoped and programmed, including consideration of the current preferred route. Construction work on the A6 Derry to Dungiven Phase 1 scheme is, however, “substantially complete” and work will continue to “close out” the project.

In the letter to council, DfI director of major projects and active travel Colin Hutchinson, said that “there are a number of reasons why the prioritisation of projects currently in the pipeline was necessary”. These include the challenging budgetary position, constrained resources (in terms of finance and staff) and the Department’s commitments under the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022.

The letter says: “Transport policies and plans are currently being reviewed and updated to align with these commitments and this work will help define what major transport infrastructure projects should be included within any future major roads programme.”

According to the letter, the combination of climate considerations, budget challenges and constrained resources has “changed the landscape considerably”.

This means that “the continued ‘business as usual’ delivery of the major roads programme as it was previously set out is no longer sustainable nor appropriate, not least because it would likely result in development expenditure on some projects that will not move to construction in the foreseeable future”.