A legal challenge against improvements to a section of the A6 in Northern Ireland has been thrown out, with a judge agreeing that appropriate assessments had been carried out and the decision to proceed with the road had been rational and lawful.
The news that improvement work can now proceed for the A6 between Belfast and Derry has been welcomed by the Freight Transport Association as a boost for businesses in the North West and Mid-Ulster.
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An image of what a new section of the road will look like
The legal challenge had claimed that the proper environmental checks had not been done and the decision to proceed had been based on out-of-date surveys.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for Infrastructure said, “Today’s decision means 18,000 road users and the local community are set to directly benefit as the new dual carriageway will reduce journey times and improve road safety. The scheme is predicted to result in a saving of almost 600 collisions over its 60 year economic life.
‘The ruling has also recognised the care and attention we take, with the statutory environmental bodies, to preserve, protect and develop environmentally sensitive areas under consideration for road development.’
The road is one of Northern Ireland’s most important arterial routes, as the road runs between its two largest cities and urban areas. Between Randaltown and Derry the road forms part of the E16 European route.
For more on this story see highwaysmagazine.co.uk.
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