A5 road upgrade plans to be announced 'by summer' says transport minister John O'Dowd

He also indicated that he was considering interim proposals for the route from Co Tyrone to Londonderry which has seen more than 50 deaths since 2006 while upgrade work was hit by a series of delays and legal challenges.

An additional announcement is to be made around the A1 road from Belfast to the Irish border in the coming weeks.

However, the minister also appealed for road users to keep safe and exercise caution.

Mr O’Dowd was speaking following a meeting with senior police in Belfast.

“There are engineering solutions to a number of our roads, and my department will work our way through those engineering solutions,” he said.

“In terms of upgrades to the A1 and A5, I have to work my way through the planning appeals commission report. I hope to be able to make an announcement later on in the summer in that regard. It’s a very detailed complex report and I want to get it right.

“I am currently examining proposals for increased road safety measures on the A5 ahead of my announcement later on in the summer.

“It is an extremely dangerous stretch of road, the fatalities on it recently are heartbreaking.

“Since coming into office on February 6, four people have lost their lives on that road, and it brings to bear on me the onus and responsibility I have in my post, but I am looking at interim proposals to see how we can bring the presence of road safety more to bear on the road users. Road users are key to this.

“In terms of the A1, I am working my way through a very constrained budget to see what road projects I can continue to develop in the year ahead, and I hope to be in a position to make that announcement in the coming weeks.”

The minister said while he does not have the funds to deliver all the road projects he would like to, it is “too simplistic” to attribute road deaths to the state of the roads, saying instead it is down to road user behaviour.

The meeting at police headquarters came hours after news emerged of another tragedy on the roads.

Connor McNeill, 41, was killed and two children were injured when the car he was driving on the Carnlough Road in Broughshane left the carriageway shortly before 3.30pm on Tuesday.

Some 22 people have died in road collisions in Northern Ireland to date this year.

Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson said on average one person a week is dying on Northern Ireland’s roads.

“First of all condolences to the families of those who not only lost their lives on the A5 but on other roads in Northern Ireland so far this year,” he said.

“Twenty-two people have lost their lives on our roads this year, and 71 lost their lives last year.

“The number of lives being lost on our roads is unacceptable by any measure, they are not just a statistic, those are individuals whose families and friendship circles will never be the same again.

“I need people to realise that today. The decisions you take on the road have significant consequences.

“Our messages are very simple – do not drink and drive, slow down, do not get careless, wear a seatbelt and stay off your mobile phone.”