§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate, in relation to the two options to improve the route between Newry and Dundalk, the mileage in each case which lies within Northern Ireland and within the Irish Republic, and the estimated cost of each option.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe two main options considered in the Newry-Dundalk road study report are:
- 1. Construction of a new route through Glendooey.
- 2. Improvement to the existing road through Ravensdale forest.
The first option has two variants and the second option three variants, reflecting differences in extent and standards of work involved. Distances and costs of each are as follows:
Variant Total distance Northern Ireland distance Republic of Ireland distance Total cost £ million 1a 8.43 6.20 2.23 7.6 1b 8.43 6.20 2.23 8.8 2a 1.86 — 1.86 1.1 2b 7.81 — 7.81 4.1 2c 9.36 1.55 7.81 10.3