Mid Ulster councillors call for urgent upgrade for A5

Speaking at the monthly meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, the Sinn Féin representative for Clogher Valley explained that the A5 upgrade plans were part of a wider scheme which will also include sections of the N2 across the border, as well as a cross-border transport corridor in Donegal which is part of the Trans-European Transport Network – known as TEN-T.

The Sinn Féin representative made her appeal for urgent action in light of yet another tragedy on the A5 – the death of Caolan Devlin, from Aughamullan, Coalisland, on March 5.

His car was in a collision with a lorry on the Curr Road section of the busy thoroughfare, between Omagh and Ballygawley.

Cllr Gildernew said: “Mid Ulster District Council have recently taken on the chair and secretariat of the A5/N2/TEN-T cross-border group, which is representative of the five councils situated along the A5/N2 transport corridor.

“I have the privilege of chairing this group for the incoming year, and we will be writing to Minister O’Dowd to invite him to meet with ourselves in the next few months, to discuss our concerns at further delay in the A5 road project.

“The assembly officially approved the A5 project on July 17, 2007, and since then 49 people have lost their lives needlessly on this road.

“First and foremost, my thoughts are with the families and friends of all of those who have lost their lives on this treacherous road, and for whom the delivery of this project has come too late, especially with the most recent fatality just this month, with the tragic fatal accident involving young Caolan Devlin, from this area.

“The current A5 road has been the scene of heartbreak for too many families, and has been held up for too long by objectors, and now is the time to move the project forward.

“Transforming the A5 will save lives, create jobs and significantly cut journey times between the North West and Dublin.

“I would like to propose that we as a council write to the Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd, to acknowledge his publicly-stated commitments to get the A5 completed, and to proactively confirm our full support for the urgent completion of the A5 project.”

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Dominic Molloy (Sinn Féin, Dungannon DEA) said he was in support of the proposal, and pointed out that the A4, from Moygashel to Belcoo, was made considerably safer a number of years ago following a major upgrade scheme.

He commented: “I’m happy to second that proposal. I think anybody must be struck by the change that went through for the A4, whenever the changes were made – not sure how long it was now, over 10 years ago.

“The change that it made to accidents and deaths on the road was monumental, so a change to the A5 is long overdue.”

Councillor Dan Kerr (Independent, Torrent DEA) explained that he knew Caolan, the young man who so tragically lost his life in early March on the A5.

“Unfortunately, a few weeks back, we all woke up to the sad news of another victim at the nightmare which is the A5.

“But Caolan is not another statistic, he was a a loving son of Margaret and Gerard and a loving brother of Niall,” he said.

“I played a bit of reserve football with Caolan a few years back for the Coalisland Fianna Reserves.

“The Devlin family are a well thought-of family in Coalisland, with Gerard recently running 52 marathons in 22 weeks for Coalisland Fianna, and Caolan’s brother recently broke onto the Tyrone County Senior Squad.

“To think that Niall has to drive the dreaded A5 every time he has Tyrone training is a sad thought, so we need to get the road upgraded and prevent the loss of further lives.”

The Independent councillor went on to ask for a letter of condolences to be sent on behalf of the council to the Devlin family.

Councillor Malachy Quinn (SDLP, Torrent DEA) pointed out that short of an upgrade scheme being delivered, the A5 would remain a very dangerous road: “I agree with Cllr Kerr’s sentiments and with the proposal as well.

“I attended a hurling game in Donegal about a month ago, and that route took me up the A5.

“And on that journey driving up, I saw six cars lying by the side of the road. It just drew the stark dangers of people driving on that road.

“It is lethal, absolutely lethal, and the speed the cars are going at is ridiculous, but the road is simply not fit for purpose, and the delays that have been going on for years need to stop.

“The more delays, the more people are going to get killed. It’s as simple as that.

“I’m very happy to support the motion, and also to second the proposal to write to Caolan’s family.

Councillor Kevin McElvogue (Independent, Clogher Valley) stressed that lives were at risk due to prolonged delays.

“I know Caolan Devlin’s family as well, and this has been going on since 2007. It’s been talked and talked and talked [about]. Many people have been killed.

“On the A4, one person has been killed from that road has been changed over in so many years.

“There’s people here getting killed who should not be. It should not be happening.”