Building roads both boosts the recovery and improves Northern Ireland’s infrastructure assets

Getting out the economic disaster caused by lockdown is not going to be easy or rapid, even if the recovery is faster than expected.
News Letter editorialNews Letter editorial
News Letter editorial

Last week it emerged that the UK’s GDP had contracted 20%, which is without precedent. That is what happens when whole tiers of economic activity have to shut (we congratulate enterprises that tried to keep going, and commiserate with those who had to lay off staff).

Explanations are needed as to the wisdom of some uses of taxpayer or ratepayer funds in this crisis, such as NI councils topping up the UK’s very generous furlough scheme so that the income of council employees on the scheme was untouched. Transparency is all the more important when there are huge demands on the public purse and when government will be essential to the recovery and must be wisely spent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now is an obvious time to improve infrastructure. It puts money in the economy, it employs people and it leaves society with a lasting asset. Some critics will want to demote road building, given that people around the world have enjoyed the way lockdown has led to less traffic and less polluted cities. But that does not mean we should reject the car, when we can instead embrace new technologies such as electric vehicles.

The road upgrades that Nichola Mallon says her infrastructure department will now advance across Northern Ireland are all needed. The A1 plan removes deadly gap junctions on that part of the Belfast-Dublin road, which is substandard compared to the motorway it links on to south of the border.

Cookstown, Banbridge and Enniskillen have long been in need of their bypasses. The Newry southern relief road will greatly alleviate a congested section of that city.

Mrs Mallon has re-committed to the A5 and A6 upgrades, which will greatly improve movement around the Province.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Other key future schemes include the Yorkgate junction upgrade, which is at an advanced stage of planning (although troublingly is not on the list of approved projects), and a dual carriageway from Moira to Templepatrick, past Belfast International Airport, which regrettably is barely on the radar.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor