Monica airs her dismay over A1 upgrade delay

​Monica's sense of disappointment was echoed by a number of elected representatives from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, including Alliance councillors Joy Ferguson and Jessica Johnston, who can't believe that enhancing safety on what is the busiest cross-border route in Ireland is no longer considered to be top priority.

The Phase 2 scheme aims to provide further safety improvements along the A1 between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland, including the provision of new grade-separated junctions, the closing up of all gaps in the central reservation and the provision of a continuous central reserve safety barrier along the whole route.

Had these enhanced safety measures been in place when Karl was travelling along the A1, he would still be alive today.

The distraught mother, who has become a powerful campaigner for a safer A1, pointed out that enhanced safety provision on the busy route has been in the pipeline for many years: “The original A1 improvements were published in 2011. We are coming to the end of 2023 and phase 2 has just been deprioritised.

“This is not good enough. This road is one of the most dangerous roads in Northern Ireland and it should be a top priority. People like my son deserve better from DfI and the Executive.”

“If these improvements had been implemented, it would have prevented his crash and many like it”.

Councillor Ferguson said she simply could not understand why other schemes had been given priority over the A1 Phase 2 scheme: “The Department for Infrastructure has ranked new projects that are 'under consideration' with a greater priority than existing infrastructure improvements that urgently require upgrades.

“Since 2011 there have been over 500 collisions and over 20 fatalities, with many more seriously injured. This road must be given greater priority.

“Despite previous Ministerial approval and a Public Inquiry, the need to upgrade this road has never been greater. The views of the public, who have been calling for this upgrade for years, must be respected.”

In correspondence to the ABC Council, a senior DfI representative stated: “There are a number of reasons why the prioritisation of projects currently in the pipeline was necessary, including the challenging budgetary position and constrained resources (in terms of finance and staff) and, importantly, the Department’s commitments under the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022.

“This combination of factors has changed the landscape considerably, meaning the continued ‘business as usual’ delivery of the major roads programme as it was previously set out is no longer sustainable nor appropriate.”

A meeting between the Department and the ABC Council will take place on September 18.