A controversial relief road – designed to provide an alternative route to Dublin that avoids Newry City centre – is already experiencing a “shortfall of approximately £22 million in funding”.
Confirmation comes as the Minister continues to review environmental concerns surrounding the project.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Southern Division is advancing the design and development of the new strategic road link to the south of Newry City, between the A1 Dublin Road dual carriageway and A2 Warrenpoint Road dual carriageway, as part of DfI’s Strategic Road Improvement (SRI) Programme.
Newry is strategically located on the Eastern Seaboard between Belfast and Dublin. It is a major inter-regional gateway that includes through access to Warrenpoint Harbour, Northern Ireland’s second busiest port.
Its location means the city experiences periods of high traffic demand, in particular from shoppers and visitors coming from the Republic of Ireland, as well as a significant number of HGVs travelling to and from the Harbour to Belfast and Dublin. This contributes to delays and congestion on the local and strategic road network.
The project proposes development of a “high standard relief road” which is expected to cost in the region of £110m and £130m, of which £93.4m is external funding from the Belfast Region City Deal.
Following the conclusion of a public consultation on the scheme in March 2025 and SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh Justin McNulty has now asked the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the findings of that consultation.
In response to the MLA’s request, the Minister, Liz Kimmins explained: “The public consultation exercise for the Newry southern relief road concluded on March 4, 2025.
“I have received a comprehensive report from my officials covering the many detailed representations that were received as part of the process and am giving careful consideration to its contents.
“My Department’s major project portfolio is complex, with a range of projects at various stages of development and delivery. Every project will have its own specific considerations.
“In common with all Departments, I am mindful of the impact of the judgement on the A5 project [quashed in June 2025 on environmental grounds], which was extremely disappointing and against which, as Members know, I have lodged an appeal.
“It would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on the judgement while the appeal is live, but, as my officials work hard to prepare for the appeal hearing, I will take the necessary time to carefully consider the potential impact of the judgement on other projects, including the southern relief road, as they move through the next stages of delivery.”
MLA McNulty pointed out that the Minister was “on the record” as saying that there should be a “lifting bridge” to accommodate tall ships coming into the Albert Basin in Newry.
And he asked the Minister to confirm if she would “reassure” residents of Flagstaff Road, Barracric and Ellisholding that their views on the environment around Benson’s Glen and the tie-in points with Ellisholding Road at the A1 will be listened to?
The lifting bridge was previously a non-starter, as DfI had “continually refused” to change the design to allow tall ships to pass under the bridge into Albert Basin where the planned Newry City Park is to be built.
Ms Kimmins added: “My position on the road is absolutely on the record, and I will never move from that position.
“As a Minister, I have to consider all the responses to the consultation and be impartial. My officials are working through that. The voices of everyone who has made a representation will be heard and the issues that they have raised will be considered as part of that process.”
Further to this point, Sinn Féin MLA Aoife Finnegan asked the Minister for the number of representations received and the nature of those representations.
The Minister explained that a total of 214 responses to the consultation were received, which she says “shows the depth of feeling in the area and that people want to be a part of the process”.
Of those representations, 154 were objections, 55% of which cited the inclusion of the fixed bridge as the reason for their objection.
There were 15 responses supporting the proposed scheme, 24 general comments and 21 responses that were not applicable to the scheme.
DUP MLA William Irwin asked the Minister for the expenditure to date on the scheme, however, she admitted that while she “did not have that figure to hand”, there is already a “shortfall of approximately £22 million funding for the scheme overall” with a lot of work still to happen.
