A long-awaited scheme to improve safety on the main Belfast to Dublin road has moved a step closer with a procurement process set to get underway.
The A1 Junctions Phase 2 Road Improvement Scheme aims to provide major improvements on the A1 dual carriageway, including the construction of four new flyover junctions on the stretch between between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland.
The scheme, which was first proposed in 2006, will also see the closing of all gaps in the central reservation and a new continuous central safety reserve barrier installed along the 25km stretch.
More than 40 people have been killed over the past two decades on the A1, which carries around 40,000 vehicles per day between Dublin and Belfast.
A public inquiry into the scheme was held in 2020, and recommended proposals were approved by then-infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon in January 2021.
Work is now expected to begin on the scheme in early 2026 and is expected to last around three years.
“Major road schemes are an important part of the work that is delivered by my Department as we seek to reduce journey times, increase reliability and improve road safety,” infrastructure minister John O’Dowd said.
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“I have been clear since taking up office that the delivery of the A1 Junctions Phase 2 project is a priority for me.
“I confirmed earlier this year that the scheme would progress to the final delivery stage as a single package of works with ringfenced funding going forward.
“Preparation for the procurement process has been moving forward at pace and I am pleased to confirm that the first phase commences this week with the advertisement of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. This will lead to the identification of a restricted list of tenderers who will then be asked to price the works.”
Mr O’Dowd added procurement was an “important step” in the scheme which will “modernise and improve road safety on a key strategic road”.
