The A5 Western Transport Corridor is more than a road
Did you know that the development of the A5 Western Transport Corridor will bring many benefits to the region? The most important of these benefits will be an improved road network increasing safer journeys for all road users. There are also economic and social benefits, accessibility benefits, sustainable transport benefits and environmental benefits.
Road Safety Benefits
- Reducing driver frustration through improved road access, increased overtaking opportunities and reduced journey times.
- Reducing traffic through towns and villages along the existing A5.
- Reducing road traffic collisions due to improved design standards resulting in an estimated:
- 35 fewer fatal road traffic collisions over a 60-year period.
- 2,700 fewer road traffic collisions over a 60-year period.
Economic & Social Benefits
- Addressing regional imbalances of road infrastructure investment.
- Generating economic opportunities, stimulating business competitiveness and productivity throughout the region.
- Improving access to ports, airports and regional gateways (approximately 99% of freight and people movements in Northern Ireland are by road).
- Decreasing transportation costs for goods through reduced congestion.
- Improving access to areas of economic activity to create business investment, job opportunities and new housing throughout the region.
- Improving accessibility to attract tourism to the area.
- Job creation and an increase in economic activity in the local area during the construction and operation/ maintenance phases.
- Reducing community severance and enhancing connectivity.
Accessibility Benefits
- Reducing journey times and improvements for long distance journeys (e.g. a 23-minute reduction in time to travel between New Buildings and south of Aughnacloy).
- Improving accessibility to key health, social, welfare and education facilities.
- Improving journey times for accident and emergency services.
- Separating long distance and local traffic which will reduce congestion in local towns and villages (i.e. on average a 68% reduction).
Sustainable Transport Benefits
- Improving road networks for public transport.
- Increasing journey time reliability for public transport making it more attractive.
- Improving connections for sustainable transport such as car share, park and ride facilities.
- Creating active travel opportunities along the existing A5 and the wider network.
- Opportunities for urban regeneration along the existing A5 which will promote alternative modes of transport such as walking and cycling.
Environmental Benefits
- Sympathetic design which considers the location of the Proposed Scheme within the surrounding environment.
- Approximately 122 hectares of woodland to be planted (300 football pitches) plus 36 hectares of smaller plants and scrub habitat.
- 15-20% of the proposed road verge is to be planted with high-biodiversity (wildflower) planting to attract bees and insects.
- New homes for mammals such as badger setts, otter holts, new ponds for smooth newts and bat boxes will be provided. Mammal underpasses, ledges in culverts, hedge lines and fencing will be provided to allow safe movements.
- Flood mitigation features will be constructed to limit flood risk in the surrounding areas against existing and future floods associated with Climate Change.
- An overall improvement in the local air quality environment.
