The opening of the new A6 road from Derry to Dungiven will make "a massive difference" after one of the longest-running road building projects in the history of Northern Ireland.
That is according to roads expert Wesley Johnston, who pointed to the "coronavirus pandemic and supply chain crises" to explain the length of time it has taken to get the new road open.
Stretching from Drumahoe on the outskirts of Derry and bypassing Dungiven, the new length of road is currently pencilled in for an opening "by the end of April".
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While the Department for Infrastructure say the date is not yet confirmed, when it does open to traffic the new road will mark a substantial upgrade of the main arterial route between Derry and Belfast.
Mr Johnston, an expert on Northern Ireland's roads infrastructure who operates a website dedicated to the topic , said the important route has not been given the attention it needs.
"The road between Northern Ireland’s two main cities has languished for many years," he told Belfast Live.
"Five years ago, of the 71 miles of road, only 24 miles (34%) was motorway or dual-carriageway. When the Randalstown to Castledawson scheme was completed in 2021 this grew to 33 miles (46% of the road).
"In a matter of weeks, the opening of the Dungiven scheme will bring this up to 49 miles (69%), which is a sea change in connectivity in just three years. There is no current plan to upgrade the final stretch from Dungiven to Castledawson, over Glenshane Pass, but it is likely that political pressure to do so will mount in the coming years."
On the long time it has taken for the upgrade to progress, he said: "This has been a hugely complex scheme, made more challenging by the Covid pandemic and supply chain crises which occurred during work.
"When it does finally open it will have been the longest-running road scheme of recent years, with a construction period of four and a half years."
The impact, Mr Johnston believes, will be "massive" because of faster and more reliable journey times, the frequency of crashes, and environmental health.
He explained: "It will make a massive difference to both travellers and residents along the road.
"Dual-carriageways are significantly safer than single-carriageways, so the new road should see fewer injuries and fatalities from crashes. It will also bring economic benefits, as the new road will have a more predictable journey time than the old road, where getting stuck behind one or more slow vehicles can significantly lengthen journeys."
He continued: "The residents of Dungiven, whose main street has very high levels of air pollution, will see a massive difference when the road opens and thousands of vehicles every day are taken out of the town."
There was one not of caution about possible traffic build-up on the outskirts of Derry, however.
"The only down side is the potential for queues at Drumahoe where the road has a temporary terminus pending the planned phase 2 which, if it ever happens, will connect the new road to the A2 at Gransha," he explained.
"However, any queueing that does occur is unlikely to offset the gains made along such a long scheme."
A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said: "We remain on target to open the A6 by the end of April but the date is not confirmed at this stage. We are working closely with the contractors and will confirm the date to the travelling public as soon as possible."
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