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Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has welcomed the latest progress on the A1 Junctions Phase 2 scheme after her department confirmed the Vesting Order for the project has been made with the DfI intending to start procurement for a site clearance contract. The scheme aims to deliver further safety improvements on the A1 dual carriageway between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland. The road has been the location of many tragic collisions with lives lost and permanently changed as a result.
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The Outline Business Case was approved on 9/11/2026 with an estimated scheme cost of £125 million to £150 million.
The improvements will include new grade separated (flyover) junctions, the closing up of all gaps in the central reservation and a continuous central reserve safety barrier along the 16 mile (25 km) route. Other significant safety improvements are also planned.
Welcoming the development, Ms Kimmins said: “I am acutely conscious of the lives tragically lost and permanently changed on this route, and of the profound and lasting impact on families and communities. Every death on our roads is one too many, which is why improving road safety and reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured remain among my foremost priorities.
“The A1 is a strategically important route, forming part of the Eastern Seaboard Corridor and providing a vital connection between Belfast and Dublin. With up to 40,000 vehicles using sections of the route each day, the delivery of the A1 Junctions Phase 2 scheme is one of my ministerial priorities. I therefore welcome the further progress being made towards these essential safety improvements.”
The Minister also referred to a recent court ruling. “Following a positive outcome in the Court of Appeal recently regarding the A5 Western Transport Corridor, this vital road safety project now moves into the final delivery phase, which commences with the Vesting Order being made in advance of construction.”
