Despite around 50 people losing their lives since it was announced, work has not yet started on the A5 dual-carriageway project
Wesley Johnston, a researcher with expertise on Northern Ireland's roads, told BBC News NI that the road has remained "largely unchanged" since the 1960s, with the exception of some town bypasses."And yet, despite that, it serves an enormous number of side accesses; not just side roads but houses, farms and everything. So, you have an enormous number of side junctions, which means that people are constantly slowing down to turn or turning out.
At the time, the Irish government said it would contribute £400m to the total cost, but this offer was withdrawn in 2011 when budget cuts were being made during the recession. Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy, who approved the upgrade when he was regional development minister, said the delay was "hugely frustrating".
"Unfortunately, a consequence of the promotion of the off-line dual carriageway scheme from 2007 onwards has been that the plans that were in hand to upgrade the existing A5 were shelved, so that there has been little upgrade or improvement to the road since then."Campaigners held a demonstration outside the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh before a sitting of the public inquiry
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