A5 road campaigner fearful more lives will be lost if dual carriageway delayed further

The chair of a group campaigning for the A5 road to be upgraded said he fears it's inevitable more lives will be lost if the scheme is delayed any further.

The road, running from Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone to Co Derry, is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Northern Ireland. Since 2006, 57 people have lost their lives along the route.

The upgrade was first proposed in 2007, and the Northern Ireland Executive gave it the green light in October 2024. Initial work to turn the road into a dual carriageway was due to get underway on the Strabane to Ballygawley stretch early this year.

Read more: GAA president urges all counties to support A5 protest in Belfast

Read more: A5 upgrade legal challenge delayed as DfI miss evidence deadline

However, this has been delayed due to a legal challenge brought against Stormont’s Department for Infrastructure from nine applicants who are opposed to the upgrade scheme. This will be heard at Belfast High Court on Tuesday, March 18.

Niall McKenna, chair of the A5 Enough is Enough group said those opposing the upgrade scheme are "continuing to ignore the realities of this life or death situation." Speaking to Belfast Live, he said: "It is unacceptable that a small number of people look for technical points to bring legal challenges to a scheme that is supported by the overwhelming majority of the public."

The A5 Enough is Enough group is supported by Tyrone GAA, and was formed after the funeral of Tyrone player John Rafferty, who died in a crash with a tractor on the road in October 2022 aged 21.

In November 2024, the group appealed to the court to be given intervenor status, which would enable them to share their experiences on the A5. In court on Tuesday, Niall said families impacted by tragedy as a result of the road will be able to share the impact the road has had on their lives.

"We felt it was important for us to give a perspective that has not been provided in the court hearings, which is very much the personal story and the impact on families who have lost people along the A5," Niall explained.

"The judge granted us intervenor status, which means on Tuesday the DfI will be handling the bulk of the legal arguments, but we wll certainly have an input too.

"The objectors have always very successfully worked the legal system but we felt very strongly there was a human perspective never given in court. We think the human story needs to be told, so we'll be doing that next week."

Members of the public are being urged to meet outside the court in Belfast between 9am and 10am on Tuesday to show their support in a public demonstration. Niall said they are hoping for further movement to be made on upgrading the road, adding it is and always has been very much a life-and-death situation.

He said: "We've always made the point that any further delays will inevitably lead to more deaths. The statistical analysis of this road is there's somebody dying every three to four months - that's the cold reality of the road.

"It's quite frightening when you're driving up that road, and you're thinking there's due to be another death. It's a horrific road to be on."

In an open letter earlier this week, GAA president, Jarlath Burns, urged members of the public to support the public demonstration outside court on March 18. He said: "For those of us who travel the A5 occasionally, its dangers are stark.

"But for the people of Tyrone, this road is a daily reality—a reality that has already claimed too many lives. It is indefensible that, after decades of promises and delays, families are still being robbed of loved ones due to inaction.

"Tyrone GAA has been a powerful and principled voice in this campaign, embodying the GAA’s core values of community, solidarity, and player welfare, both on and off the field. I commend their leadership, and I call on every county to show support by raising awareness of this campaign on social media and encouraging attendance at the demonstration.

"Tuesday, 18th March, is an opportunity for the GAA community to stand together, to honour those we have lost, and to demand action before more lives are needlessly taken. I encourage as many people as possible to attend and to send a clear, united message: enough is enough. This project must proceed without further delay.

"Please help amplify this urgent appeal. Together, we can be a voice for change and help ensure that no more families suffer the devastation of losing a loved one on this road."

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