Contractor appointed for A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Project

Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy, has announced that a contract for the development of the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Project has been awarded to the Graham/Farrans Joint Venture.

The contract will be carried out in two phases. The first phase is to assist TransportNI with completion of the design and have the scheme at a 'shovel ready' stage. This will allow the scheme to progress to the construction phase at short notice when the necessary funding becomes available.

A total of 14km of new dual carriageway will be constructed as part of the scheme. This will be in two sections: 7.3 km from the end of the M22 at Randalstown to the Toome Bypass; and 6.7 km from Toome Bypass to the Castledawson roundabout.

The Minister said: "The appointment of this team is an important next step in the delivery of this scheme. Graham/Farrans Joint Venture will assist in the development to a 'shovel ready' stage in readiness for construction at short notice when funding becomes available. This A6 dualling scheme is a significant project that will remove a major bottleneck and enhance this strategically important route for the North West which links Londonderry and Belfast.

"With traffic levels continuing to grow, a dual carriageway will improve safety, reduce congestion and improve journey times on this vital route," added Mr Kennedy. Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Mid-Ulster, Sandra Overend, has welcomed the news. She said: “ This appointment is a vital stage in the process of the development of this project, and it will ensure that – as the first part of the two-phase plan – the project will be at a shovel ready stage when the funding becomes available."