FROM THE OFFICE OF
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Seamus Leheny Policy & Membership Manager - Northern Ireland. Freight Transport Association
RELIEF FOR DRIVERS AT LAST AS A6 UPGRADE PROGRESSES On a Monday morning we all have our preferences for where we would prefer to be. However on Monday 5th August, I was pleased to be in Toome listening to the sound of free flowing traffic. Ok, so that sounds a little strange, so let me explain further. This was the morning that the new seven kilometres of the A6 dual carriageway between Randalstown and Toome opened to traffic and finally meant that the long suffering drivers, especially goods vehicle drivers no longer had to endure the dreaded old Moneynick road. I was there that morning to do some interviews for local BBC and UTV outlining the benefits of the new road and why it was needed and explained that our members in Northern Ireland were deeply affected by the congestion and delay issues along this vital stretch of highway and that at morning and evening peak times, this new carriageway will provide operators with the journey time certainty and reliability they need to operate effectively. As many of you will be aware, the FTA has long campaigned for the upgrade of A6 for many years now and before our local Assembly stopped working, we continuously lobbied all the local political parties and MLA’s to ensure the project progressed and received its allocated funding. Thankfully the last Assembly passed and approved the upgrade before it collapsed however we were then faced with legal delays based on environmental challenges. This led to a long drawn out legal battle in the Belfast High Court between those mounting the challenge and the Department for Infrastructure. I was there representing FTA at the High Court hearings to support the A6 and continuously made the case for scheme via the media and other stakeholders, often a voice
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constantly attacked by those against the scheme but welcomed by all motorists and the wider economy.
just over £1 per minute, less time spent in traffic will help to reduce operating costs for businesses.
Despite a well-publicised and funded campaign by those against the upgrade, the legal challenge was thankfully dismissed.
The seven kilometre stretch between Randalstown and Toome is just the first phase of three stages encompassing the A6. The other two sections involve upgrades to dual carriageway status between Toome and Castledawson due to open late 2020 then the longer 30km Dungiven to Drumahoe upgrade including a bypass of Dungiven due to open in 2022.
Time Savings Many of you reading this will have travelled the old A6 Moneynick road between Randalstown and Toome in the past and will know that this particular stretch of road was unforgiving because with single lanes and no room to pull in, any accidents or breakdowns resulted in severe delays for all motorists. The estimated time saving for the new road will be around five minutes. That doesn’t sound like a great deal but the objective for this new section of road was to improve journey time reliability and with the cost of running a 44-tonne artic and trailer currently sitting at
Although the Moneynick section that just opened is the shortest, it was without doubt the weakest link in the chain between Belfast and Derry/Londonderry hence why it was particularly pleasing to see it completed first.
New Opportunities The improved A6 will also unlock new opportunities for investment and economic growth in the North
West and Mid Ulster because it’s the ability to get goods to market efficiently and inexpensively that is a key point in attracting new business. And as the vast majority of freight moving along the A6 transits via Belfast and Larne Ports, the resulting improved reliability of journey time will benefit North West and Mid Ulster businesses connectivity to Great Britain and the rest of Europe. The benefits of this new road cannot be seen as only economic as there are significant road safety improvements with having a grade separated dual carriageway. The maximum speed limit for goods vehicles on the carriageway will increase from 40mph on the old road to 50mph, thus preventing the long tailbacks which have caused frustration for other road users along the previous single lane road, overtaking will therefore be easier and safer on a dual carriageway. This new carriageway and eventually the entire A6 upgrade will help logistics operators provide the reliable service that your clients, who are manufacturers, retailers and distributors, require in order to keep their businesses trading efficiently and with reduced costs. Efficient logistics is vital to keep the NI trading and we will keep pushing for other strategic road improvements that are long overdue such as the A5, Newry Southern Relief Road, York Street Interchange, Enniskillen bypass and the Cookstown bypass. When we look at the current political situation we are experiencing, the road ahead looks unclear but when it comes to our roads here, the future is thankfully starting to look a little clearer.
