Road lobbyists team up with southern counterparts

Three campaign groups - the Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A), Save Newgrange (SN) and Don’t By the Bypass (DBTB) - working on different sections of the proposed M2/A5 motorway, which will eventually run from Dublin to Londonderry, have now joined forces.

AA5A is challenging the need for the upgrade of the A5 primary route, from the border to Londonderry, which at 55 miles will be the longest single road project ever undertaken in Northern Ireland.

Authorities on both sides of the border are planning this section of the road together, and the Irish Government has committed to pay for a share of it.

Lynne Smyth, Secretary of the Alternative A5 Alliance said: "The Alternative A5 Alliance is delighted to be able to cooperate with the other campaign groups along the route of this proposed road. Together we must alert the people of Ireland to the catastrophe these 'ghost roads' will cause.

"This is not the time to be tarmacing over our farmland and natural habitat. It is time to seek a sustainable transport option which will serve our future needs as well as that of our grandchildren - as they will be paying for it.

Noel Murphy, a spokesman for Don't Bypass the Bypass, said: "Its great to be working in co-operation with the other groups, and we need to remain so going forward.”

Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange said: "We are delighted to have North-South co-operation between our community groups along the proposed M2/A5.

“The people of Northern Ireland should have a say in what happens to the Br na Binne Unesco World Heritage Site, since they are being asked to pay for part of the road that will severely impact it.

"We welcome the intervention of Dr Edgar Morgenroth, associate economist with the ESRI, who said the N2 plans are ‘idiocy,’ and called for the HGV ban to be implemented in Slane.

"Minister Dempsey must act now to both save lives in Slane, and stop wasting taxpayers' money on 'ghost roads'.”