York Street Interchange upgrade: Nichola Mallon orders more preparatory work

Consultants are expected to report back on the York Street Interchange upgrade in the autumn, the SDLP minister said.

She said on Friday that she has accepted the recommendations of a review into the proposed upgrade, a project which has been bogged down by various delays for years.

The existing junction at York Street, to the north of Belfast City Centre, connects the Westlink, M2 and M3 — the three busiest roads in Northern Ireland — and is described as “a major bottleneck” by Ms Mallon’s department.

The plan for the new upgrade is to separate through traffic from local motorists with underpasses below the existing road and rail bridges, and underneath a proposed new bridge at York Street.

Funding for the project was allocated back in 2017 through the DUP’s ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement to prop-up the former Prime Minister Theresa May’s government.

But in 2018 a successful legal challenge held up work on the upgrade.

An independent review was commissioned by Nichola Mallon in the summer of last year, and completed in November with a series of recommendations.

The first recommendation was for the project brief to be “reviewed and revised” to make sure it fits in with “place making” and best practice.

On Friday, Ms Mallon said: “I want the scheme to maximise focus on wellbeing, sustainable travel, creating thriving liveable places and communities as well as responding to the climate emergency and connecting people and opportunities.

“I also want to ensure that the scheme aligns with the emerging policy context and rises to the new challenges facing us all. “

She continued: “I considered the outcome of this review and accept in full the six recommendations. As a result, before I make a decision on the next steps for the scheme, I have asked consultants to carry out some further work particularly around place making and to maximise ambition in terms of what can be delivered for communities, connectivity and the wider living places agenda.

“As we move towards a greener recovery, it is important that we consider the future of our city and maximise the benefits this strategic project can deliver for our economy, environment and importantly the local community. The Strategic Advisory Group for the scheme will also be reconvened and the communications strategy updated to ensure local communities and other stakeholders are kept informed.