AQW 39458/22-27

Mr David Honeyford
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 30/01/2026
Answered On Date: 24/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) for her assessment of whether the A1 Junctions Phase 2 project is exposed to the legal or environmental vulnerabilities, identified in the A5 Western Transport Corridor scheme case; and (ii) to detail any factors that distinguish the A1 project from the A5 scheme, in legal and environmental terms.

Answer:

In light of the A5 Judgement I am taking time to consider the impact on all major infrastructure projects.

We have to await the Court of Appeal's ruling, because it is important that we consider it fully when looking at the next steps for all major roads projects, as we do not want to be in a scenario where we face more legal challenges.

However, my officials are still undertaking necessary work and keeping these schemes live as they are priorities for me.

Every death on our roads is a profound loss to the community and unfortunately the A1 is a road that has been impacted exponentially by tragic circumstances. I remain committed to the construction of this vitally important infrastructure safety upgrade and will take all actions available to me to secure its delivery.