COURT OF APPEAL CLEARS WAY FOR A5 ROAD UPGRADE IN NI

The Court of Appeal in Belfast has overturned a 2025 ruling that had blocked work from starting on the A5 dual carriageway project in Northern Ireland, according to Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan. Dame Siobhan said the earlier decision was "problematic" and could not stand, and ruled that the scheme "is a priority investment and should be proceeded with". The proposed route would run between Londonderry and Aughnacloy in County Tyrone. Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure brought the appeal after a court found last year that its plans for the road did not comply with climate change targets. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said she was "absolutely delighted" with the ruling and had instructed officials to "get on with the job". The Belfast Telegraph reported the scheme's cost at £1.7bn and described it as Northern Ireland's biggest road project.

Plans to upgrade the A5 date back almost 20 years and have faced repeated funding and legal challenges, with the Lady Chief Justice describing the project's legal history as "long and torturous". Objections have centred on the environmental impact of building a new road and its effect on farmland. The Alternative A5 Alliance, which represents landowners, farmers and others opposed to the upgrade, said through its lawyer that its clients would "carefully consider" the judgment, adding they had "always been committed to ensuring the A5 project is the subject of the rigour of the law". Supporters of the upgrade, including the campaign group Enough is Enough, have pointed to the road's safety record, with 57 deaths recorded on the A5 over the past 18 years according to the BBC, while the Belfast Telegraph put the figure at more than 50 since 2006.

Enough is Enough said the ruling was not "a time for celebration" but brought a "sense of pride". Dame Siobhan said she had considered four grounds of appeal, including climate change and human rights considerations, and found the previous judgment could not stand on climate grounds. The Department for Infrastructure is now expected to proceed with the scheme following Kimmins' instruction to officials. No timetable for construction has been confirmed in the material reported so far.