Rock blasting on the A1 Newry bypass near Cologhogue in Northern Ireland had to be suspended this week, after debris landed near homes outside an exclusion zone.
The Department of Regional Development said work would not be resumed until remedial action was taken, including a review by the Health and Safety Executive.
Chair of Newry and Mourne Council’s A1 liaison committee, Pat McGinn, said: ‘While it has been recognised by all, the importance of this road project and the completion of it is eagerly awaited, we cannot underestimate the concerns of residents.’
The Department of Regional Development said an estimated eight further blasts were needed in the area. The £21M scheme on the main road to Dublin will provide 12km of dual carriageway with hard shoulders and a continuous central safety barrier is expected to open in 2010.
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