Ballynahinch bypass fears as costs spiral up to £60m

Ballynahinch bypass fears as costs spiral up to £60m

25 September 2024

FEARS are growing over the future of the Ballynahinch bypass.

The cost of the near two-mile link between the Newcastle and Saintfield roads is now estimated to cost up to £60m.

While roads officials remain keen to deliver the scheme, the money simply isn’t there to do it.

With the Department for Infrastructure currently reviewing its transport policies given its challenging budgetary position and commitments under new climate change legislation, there are fears that the bypass could face a significant delay.

The shovel-ready scheme is currently paused but other flagship road schemes have not, with fears that Ballynahinch will miss out on a promised road scheme that has the potential to transform its economic fortunes and provide a major new gateway to the Mournes and wider South Down area.

During a special briefing with Newry, Mourne and Down councillors on Monday evening, the district’s 

senior roads official confirmed that development work on the bypass — the largest ever road scheme proposed for the district — is substantially concluded and the scheme’s draft business case is prepared.

But Mr Mark McPeake said a decision to proceed to the procurement stage depends upon the government department’s immediate project priorities which will be formulated on completion of its transportation plans.

The DfI hopes to publish a transport strategy later this year and it will set out a timetable for planning and delivery of transport infrastructure across Northern Ireland up to 2035.

Mr McPeake said the strategy aims to align transport infrastructure with the requirements of climate change to achieve net zero by 2050. 

“The decarbonisation of transport is likely to be the single largest strategic driver of our work over the next decade,” he told councillors.

The roads chief said the Ballynahinch bypass is one of the schemes that has been developed to take through to the direction order stage and is one, along with many others, that’s fighting for funding.

“The new transport strategy forming the decision making process over the next 10 years and what schemes will be prioritised will go out to consultation early next year, so it depends on what is in that report and what the minister decides in terms of what the priorities are and where the money comes from,” he said.

“There is only a certain amount of money and it can’t stretch to every scheme”.

It was also confirmed that while transport policies and plans are currently being reviewed and updated to align with these commitments, the work will help define what major roads projects should be included within any future roads programme.

However, due to financial and resourcing pressure, the roads department has revealed it can only deliver those projects where there are alternative funding streams such as so-called flagship and city and growth deals, none of which currently include Ballynahinch.

Councillors were also told on Monday night that a vesting order for the multi-million pound bypass cannot be made until the funding has been secured.

In August last year, the DfI published its list of priority road schemes that will continue to be progressed but the Ballynahinch bypass was not on it and remains officially paused, with its place on a future major works programme determined by “emerging transport plans” and a ministerial decision.

Rowallane councillor Terry Andrews said it was vital the bypass is delivered to alleviate town centre congestion and improve safety for pedestrians.

“This scheme is ready to go and it must be delivered,” he declared. “Delays are concerning and there is still no definitive start date.

“People in Ballynahinch are asking why the powers that be are not addressing their concerns and delivering this new road. They see investment in road schemes in other areas to address congestion while still they wait,” he continued.

“There is deep frustration. Two pensioners have already lost their lives. The bypass is ready to go and people want to see it delivered. The scheme needs to become a reality and it must move from the drawing board to contractors on the ground.”

Cllr Andrews said while he understood the budgetary pressures, the scheme had been in the pipeline for decades and the town was “screaming out for it to be delivered”.

He added: “While there are policies and procedures that have to be followed, the bypass needs to be delivered. There must be no more delays.”