Legal battle over A5 road upgrade resumes in Belfast High Court

THE long-running legal battle over the much-delayed A5 road upgrade is set to resume in the High Court in Belfast today (Wednesday) with dozens of bereaved families expected to attend in support of the project.

The case, brought by the Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A), marks the latest chapter in a dispute that has delayed construction for over 17 years.

The legal challenge, which initially began on Tuesday, April 2, is expected to last two to three days.

Campaigners advocating for the road upgrade, including families who have lost loved ones in accidents along the dangerous stretch of road, say they are determined to make their voices heard in court.

Since the project was first proposed in 2007, 57 people have died on the stretch of the A5 between Ballygawley and Newbuildings.

Last week, the Tyrone GAA ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign held a public meeting at Canavan’s in Garvaghey, where chairman Niall McKenna emphasised the importance of ensuring that bereaved families’ voices are finally heard in court.

“We will now, for the first time, be able to tell the human stories and the tragedies,” he said.

“That is what is going to be different about this case, and I have no doubt that it is this which is going to make us win this case.”

Mr McKenna urged supporters to attend the hearing to demonstrate the widespread public support for the project.

“On the day that our barrister, Stephen Toal KC, presents our case in court, we are hoping that as many people as possible will be able to attend in the public gallery," he added.

"We want the judge to see how many people are affected and how strong public feeling is around here to get this road completed.”

The Alternative A5 Alliance, which has lodged the legal challenge, has argued that the new dual carriageway would cause significant environmental damage and has instead called for improvements to the existing road.

However, supporters of the upgrade insist that safety concerns must take priority, highlighting the number of fatalities and serious accidents that have occurred on the current route.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has outlined noise mitigation measures for 75 properties along the planned route in anticipation of construction, but the ongoing legal proceedings have cast further doubt on when work will finally begin.

With strong emotions on both sides, all eyes will be on the High Court in Belfast this week as the future of the long-awaited A5 upgrade hangs in the balance.