Letter: Northern Ireland cannot lose more precious farm land to roads

We face record global temperatures and resulting forest fires in southern Europe and elsewhere. The ever worsening blockade of Ukrainian grain exports to starving nations in Africa and elsewhere with the prospect of one to two billion people facing serious food shortages or starvation. The Sahara desert apparently is moving northwards into southern Europe. Famine on a scale that was unthinkable until now may soon be upon us.

We in Northern Ireland have been fortunate this year with adequate rain. That can no longer be taken for granted as last year proved. There needs to be a dramatic rethink on the designs of our roads to minimise land take. eg instead of widening the existing A5 to a dual carriageway instead where possible converting it to a so-called 2 plus 1 design, in which there are two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other, with the direction of two and single sections alternating so that there are constant overtaking opportunities – as was built on the connecting route across the border on the road between Ardee to Monaghan, which works well.

From Claudy to Dungiven on the Belfast-Londonderry A6 they have just widened the road much more than they need to do, destroying a good land – not just the land on the road but the damaged land on each side, caused by huge embankments.

Losing 3,000 to 5,000 acres of good farmland to widen the A5 simply is not feasible nor justifiable. Nor can our farmers, agri-food industry, nor the hungry world at large afford such extravagance.

Mr V Christy, Co Londonderry