Chamber president excited by A5 benefits

THE President of the Omagh Chamber of Commerce is confident that the A5 dual carriageway will provide a massive boost to businesses in the wider West Tyrone area when it is completed.

Work on the new £2.1 billion road is expected to begin in early 2025 and take five years to complete. Approval for the major project was announced by the Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, last week.

Now the President of the Chamber, John Edgar, has expressed hope that the many potential benefits of the A5 will finally be realised.

“At the moment, we don’t have the required infrastructure linking our areas to the rest of Ireland. First and foremost, the benefits in terms of road safety and the reduced number of lost lives are the most important factor,” he said.

“From a business viewpoint, I would expect to see a major uplift in Omagh becoming a new destination for businsses to have a central location where they can reach out to Dublin, Belfast and Derry.

“A new A5 dual carraigeway will cut down on logistical costs, it will mean companies located along the route and indeed in other areas can plan their journeys more effectively and accurately and everything will become a little more seamless in terms of product distribution.”

Mr Edgar also hopes that smaller and medium-sized businesses locally will also benefit. He believes the new road will also attract more visitors travelling to the north-west, including Omagh.

He wants to see the local Chambers of Commerce, District Councils and Stormont Departments working together over the coming years to ensure that the business, tourism and other attractions of towns like Omagh are properly marketed.

“Hopefully, Omagh will be promoted as a destination. We have to work together to ensure that this happens and all the relevant Councils, Chambers and Governments need to ensure that all of this works,” he added.

“The Growth Deal for both the Fermanagh and Omagh and Derry City and Strabane is another opportunity to boost our economy. I am born and reared in Omagh, I’ve always loved the town and I’m so excited about us realising our potential once the A5 is completed.”