Mr McAleer said: "I will be seeking a meeting with the Minister Danny Kennedy to work out how we can make sure that all issues are resolved to ensure the construction of this road.
"The A5 is an essential lifeline for the west. It has the potential to rebalance the infrastructural deficit west of the Bann and will create hundreds of jobs during the construction period.
-- Advertisement --
"The project is vital for a whole range of reasons. It will make the west a more realistic prospect for investors and the economic assessment carried out during the planning stage indicated that its creation will be worth in excess of £1billion to the local economy over the next 60 years.
"By making the road much safer than the current A5, this will substantially increase safety and reduce road casualties and fatalities. Recent statistics released under FOI highlighted that when the A4 was duelled the number of accidents dropped dramatically and there has been no fatalities to date.
"Today's announcement is a set back for the hard pressed construction industry which has been holding out for this long awaited project with the prospect of up to 800 jobs being created."
(CD)
