North’s Transport Minister says A5 funding should be redeployed

The North’s Transport Minister Danny Kennedy says funding intended for the delayed A5 scheme should be redeployed to other roads schemes in order to support the construction industry and local economy.
In a statement, he says the A5 has not been abandoned, and remains an Executive commitment.
However, he says pending the completion of more detailed assessments, it would be wrong not to redeploy the resources to other important schemes which are procurement ready.
In a statement, Minister Danny Kennedy says he recently wrote to Finance Minister Sammy Wilson to declare a reduced budget requirement in relation to the coming financial year. An options paper has also been sent to the Finance Minister and other Executive Ministers highlighting other major schemes that could start ahead of the A5 scheme, and he says officials are currently developing these options.”
They include the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson; the A31 Magherafelt bypass, the A26 Glarryford to Drones Road on the Northern Key Transport Corridor and the A55 Knock Road widening in Belfast.
Mr Kennedy stressed he is in no way wedded to any single project, and he wants to progress strategically important projects at the earliest opportunity. He concluded his commitment is to take the right decisions regarding proposed infrastructure improvements to support the economy, and he is calling on other Executive Ministers to support him in doing so.