Long-delayed Ballynahinch bypass moves towards green light amid - though boost Belfast to Newcastle journey times won't be ready until 2030

The scheme, which was first mooted nine years ago and is projected to cost between £50m and £60m, will see a single carriageway bypass built around the eastern periphery of the Co Down town.

It’s hoped that will ease serious traffic jams in the centre of Ballynachinch, as well as speeding up journey times on the main road linking Belfast with Newcastle, which currently runs straight through the town.

Visiting Ballynahinch today (12th), Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins confirmed that the project will now move forward with officials putting together a business case and investigating which firms could get contracts involved in building it.

Although the bypass likely won’t be ready until 2030 at the earliest, the Minister said she was delighted to announce “a welcome development for the local community, businesses and commuters”.

She said: “This important project will help to significantly alleviate traffic congestion in the centre of Ballynahinch, improving journey time reliability, road safety and air quality on the busy A24 Belfast to Newcastle Road.

"As part of my commitment to increase opportunities for active and sustainable travel I am also pleased that the scheme will include the provision of a new footway and cycleway, and a park and share facility.

“This will all serve to enhance the town centre environment and provide a more positive experience for locals and visitors alike.”

Reinforcing that major projects such as the bypass take years to develop and get the correct permissions in place, she stated that the bypass will be “managed sequentially” to a scheme improving junctions and safety features along the A1 dual carriageway between Loughbrickland and Hillsborough, around 10 miles west of Ballynahinch.

“We do need to prioritise the development and delivery of our schemes accordingly,” the Minister said. “On that basis and having already committed to take the A1 junctions project to construction I can confirm that, in order to minimise the budget impact on future years, the Ballynahinch bypass will be managed sequentially to the A1 project.

“When completed, these strategic road improvement schemes will deliver for communities and road users for generations to come.”

The Department for Infrastructure confirmed that it will take roughly two years to finalise the business case, after which the procurement process sorting out contracts will begin.

Actual construction work is predicted to start in 2028 or 2029, and it should take two years to build the bypass.

That should have it ready to use sometime in 2030 or 2031 – though officials warned that depends on necessary permissions such as planning being in place, and the cash being available in the budget.

The bypass saga dates back years, with moves towards getting it built properly starting in 2016, when a public inquiry resulted in officials confirming they wanted to go ahead with the project.

That was scuppered when Stormont collapsed the following year, and it wasn’t until 2021 that the project got back on the starting grid with the then-Infrastructure Minister ordering it should be got ready in case money for it became available.