Legal battle over planned new A5 road to resume today

DOZENS of people who have lost loved ones in road traffic collisions on the A5 over the past two decades plan to attend this week’s resumption of the High Court legal challenge against the much-delayed upgrade.

Since the project was first proposed in 2007, 57 people have died on the stretch between Ballygawley and Newbuildings.

The challenge, brought by nine applicants from the Alternative A5 Alliance, will resume in Belfast on Tuesday, April 1, for two to three days.

Last Thursday, the Tyrone GAA ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign held a public meeting at Canavan’s in Garvaghey.

The meeting, attended by chairman Niall McKenna and other officials, was delayed due to a road traffic collision at Crawford’s Bridge near Beragh.

Family members of victims were also present, with the campaign planning a large turnout at this week’s hearing in Belfast.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr McKenna said this would be the first time the voices of bereaved families would be heard in court.

“We will now for the first time be able to tell the human stories and the tragedies. That is what is going to be different about this case, and I have no doubt that it is this which is going to make us win this case.

“On the day that our barrister, Stephen Toal KC, presents our case in court, we are hoping that as many people as possible will be able to attend in the public gallery. We want the judge to see how many people are affected and how strong public feeling is around here to get this road completed.”

Mr McKenna also addressed the Alternative A5 Alliance’s claim of a human rights breach in their appeal, calling it ‘sadly ironic’.

“The number of deaths on the road would have made people believe that the human rights element would have been more pertinent to those who have had relatives killed or seriously injured as a result of road traffic collisions on the A5.”

Reflecting on the long fight for the road’s construction, he added: “This has been going on and off for 17 years. Even if this decision goes for us, there will be no celebrations because unfortunately, far too many people have died on this road.

“We will concentrate on our own arguments and the honest story that we have to tell about the impact of deaths on the A5 have had on our community.”