The long-awaited A5 upgrade has been hit by a fresh hold-up with next month’s court challenge from objectors set to be delayed
Advancing work the notorious 58-mile stretch of road has been regularly cited by First Minister Michelle O’Neill as one of the executive’s main achievements in its first year since restoration.
It is understood Department for Infrastructure (DfI) officials missed a key deadline last month and their lawyers are now arguing for a rescheduling of the forthcoming five-day hearing.
The civil servants’ failure by to submit affidavit evidence by January 17 means the hearing scheduled for the first week in March is now likely to be put back.
The case is listed for a review on Tuesday, where Mr Justice McAlinden is expected to grant the department’s request for additional time.
The judge has previously signalled that the case be dealt with “as quickly as possible”.
The delay is the latest blow to a project that has been bedeviled by hold-ups over the past two decades.
After the then infrastructure minister John O’Dowd gave the go-ahead for the £1.2bn upgrade last October, work was expected to commence early this year.
However, proceedings have been brought by nine individuals, who claim pushing ahead with the scheme breaches legislative goals for cutting regional greenhouse gas emissions.
The latest hold-up of at least a fortnight is revealed as a Sinn Féin ministerial reshuffle means Liz Kimmins takes over at DfI, with Mr O’Dowd taking the finance portfolio.
Less than three weeks ago a public inquiry into a controversial gold mine in Co Tyrone was suspended due to regulation breaches by DfI.
The long-awaited Planning Appeals Commission inquiry had ran for just two days when it emerged that the department had failed to notify the authorities about the inquiry and that it had not given Donegal County Council adequate time to respond after a cross-border issue was identified.
The Department for Infrastructure was approached for comment.
