An expert on Belfast’s road network has said that the Climate Change Act has all-but killed off any chance of the York Street Interchange being built.

But author Wesley Johnston added that there may still be some hope if the Department of Infrastructure wins its legal appeal against the judgment that shut down work on the A5.

He said that, for political reasons, Sinn Fein (which controls the department) will not proceed with the York Street project unless the A5 also happens.

He was speaking after the News Letter revisited the issue earlier this month and learned the project remains in limbo.

placeholder image — A computer-generated image of the would-be York Street scheme (produced some nine years ago); the scheme remains in abeyance

Two years earlier, York Street had hit the headlines because officials believed that it could be another 11 years away from completion.

The News Letter enquired what progress there has been since then, and was told that minister Liz Kimmins “has asked officials to consider possible alternative funding methods,” and that “she is taking time to consider the next steps for this key infrastructure project”.

The scheme would revamp the motorway junction at the north end of Belfast city centre where the M2 (headed north), Westlink (headed south and west), and M3 (headed east) all meet.

The area has long been beset with congestion.

Mr Johnston is the author of a book all about Belfast’s motorway network (titled The Belfast Urban Motorway), and also runs a website dedicated to transport in the Province. He has followed the York Street project closely.

“It has always been seen politically as a DUP scheme, which colours it,” he said.

"Sinn Fein are committed to the A5 and will not countenance York Street going ahead if the A5 does not.”

He said “I think the scheme’s biggest chance of being built was during the DUP confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Tories”, when the DUP secured money for the project, but the DfI then “wrecked” by making legal mistakes with the procurement process.

SDLP infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon, in post from 2020-2022, “did not want to prioritise it”.

Then the demise of the A5 scheme last year (because it was found not to meet the demands of the Climate Chance Act 2022) further pushed York Street into abeyance, because the same arguments that killed the A5 could also apply to it.

"Unless DfI win the appeal on the A5, I cannot see how the scheme can go ahead,” said Mr Johnston.

"The Climate Change Act that Stormont passed essentially makes it impossible.

"If this obstacle is overcome, it would still need Executive approval, which is unlikely to be forthcoming ahead of the A5 being built.”

He also said that “it is an urban motorway scheme, which was always a tricky sell, and particularly so now with so much focus on decarbonisation”.

“The main selling point is that, if done right, it could take road traffic down below the surface streets and re-open the area to redevelopment,” he said.

"However, the current design doesn’t really take that into account – and for good reason, placemaking is not in the remit of DfI.

"It would need to involve multiple departments cooperating, which is almost impossible.”

The DfI was invited to respond, but didn’t.