Only nine of the 28 look likely to go ahead, with planning to continue on another two.
Seven of the nine schemes being prioritised are road schemes; one is light rail and one is a footbridge. All 17 put on ice are road building.
Both financial and environmental constraints were offered as justification.
Prioritising the development and delivery of major road schemes has been necessary because of the department鈥檚 鈥渃hallenging budgetary position鈥�, it said, 鈥渁long with constrained resources and commitments under the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022鈥�.
The department鈥檚 statement continued: 鈥淭his combination of factors has changed the landscape considerably, meaning delivery of the major roads programme as previously set out is no longer sustainable nor appropriate.鈥�
The schemes to be prioritised, together with their estimated value, are:
- A6 Randalstown/Castledawson (拢1.6bn)
- A6 Derry/Dungiven Phase 1 (拢170m-拢200m)
- A5 Western Transport Corridor (拢1.6bn)
- A6 Derry/Dungiven Phase 2 (拢170m-拢200m)
- Belfast Rapid Transit 2 (拢142m-拢148m)
- Lagan Pedestrian & Cycle Bridge (拢12.9m)
- Newry Southern Relief Road (拢85m-拢100m)
- A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass (拢25m-拢30m)
- A29 Cookstown Bypass (拢55m-拢65m).
Start dates for the prioritised projects vary. Construction on the first phase of the 拢1.6bn A5 Western Transport Corridor scheme could start in May 2024, while the earliest possible construction start for the 拢100m Newry Southern Relief Road would be 2028.
Work will also continue on the A1 Junctions Phase 2 scheme (拢65m-拢75m), to finalise the Business Case and complete the preparation of the contract documents. In addition, current work streams will also be completed on York Street Interchange (拢120m-拢165m) and A32 Cornamuck schemes (拢5m-拢6.5m). However, no funding has been identified for either of these schemes.
All other schemes will be paused and their place on a future major works programme will be informed by the department鈥檚 emerging transport plans and any decision by a future infrastructure minister, the statement said.
The schemes that have been paused are:
- A2 Buncrana Road
- A24 Ballynahinch Bypass
- A55 Knock Road Widening
- A28 Armagh East Link
- A32 Esker Bog
- A3 Armagh North and West Link
- A2 Ballykelly Bypass
- A2 Sydenham Bypass
- A32 Kilgortnalegue
- M1 / A1 Sprucefield Bypass
- A3 Portadown to Richill Dualling
- A26 Ballymoney to Coleraine
- A26 Nuts Corner to Moira
- A4 Fivemiletown Bypass
- M2 / A8(M) Sandyknowes Junction Upgrade
- Shaftesbury Link
- M1 Slip Roads at Blacks Road.
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