Department unveils preferred route for new relief road

The relief road aims to provide a strategic transport link from the A1 Belfast-Dublin key transport corridor to the A2 Warrenpoint dual carriageway.

The proposed preferred route links the A2 Warrenpoint Road to the Ellisholding Junction on the A1 and starts on the A2 Warrenpoint Road along the frontage of Greenbank Industrial Estate and crosses the Newry River and Canal just to the south Drumalane Quarry and then heads in a westerly direction towards the A1.

Five potential routes were considered, and the department has revealed that an engineering report providing a detailed design of the proposed new road could be complete in late 2019 or early 2020.

Southern Divisional Roads Manager, Simon Richardson, said: “This is another key step in the delivery of the Newry Southern Relief Road which if constructed will be an important link road between the key strategic corridor of the A1/N1 Belfast to Dublin route with the A2 and Northern Ireland’s second largest port at Warrenpoint Harbour.

“The route will improve ‎journey times and journey time reliability for strategic traffic between the A2 Warrenpoint Road and the A1/N1. It will also significantly improve road safety and traffic congestion within Newry City centre by providing an alternative route for strategic traffic.

“The proposed scheme will improve accessibility to both Newry City and Warrenpoint Harbour and support and maintain sustainable economic growth and employment within the area.”