Mouchel will work alongside the Roads Service Northern Ireland in developing the largest road project ever to be undertaken in Northern Ireland.

The announcement by Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy follows Mouchel's appointment as Client Advisor to Roads Service Northern Ireland on the A5 Western Key Transport Corridor project.

The project will see 88km of road either widened or re-routed and upgraded as part of ambitious plans by the Roads Service to enhance transport links in Northern Ireland.

It forms part of wider plans to improve connections between Dublin and Derry and is one of five key transport corridors identified in the regional transportation strategy for Northern Ireland (RTS).

The A5 Western Key Transport Corridor will connect Strabane and Omagh to Aughnacloy, improving journey times, business, trade and tourist routes.

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The client advisor role will drive the development of route corridors leading to the identification of the preferred route.

Mouchel will be supported by Rowsell Wright and Chandler KBS in partnership with the Roads Service in Northern Ireland. The contract follows on from Mouchel’s successful Client Advisor and Project Manager role on the A1/N1 project which connected Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland with a 14km cross-border dual carriageway.

The company also worked in partnership with the Roads Service on the £100m realignment and upgrading to dual carriageway of the A4/A5 between Dungannon and Ballygawley.

Andy Campbell, Business Unit Director at Mouchel and Project Director for the scheme, said: "This is great news and follows on from the successful delivery of the A1/N1 project which was opened on schedule this summer. The new A5 Corridor project is an unprecedented transportation challenge for Northern Ireland and one that we are delighted to be involved in."

The route options for the scheme will be presented in due course at a number of exhibitions. Feedback will be considered, along with the assessment of environmental, safety, economic, accessibility and integration issues before choosing a final route. It is expected that a preferred route will be published in mid to late 2009.

Speaking at the official announcement, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said: "The 88km dualling of the A5 is by far the single largest road project ever to be undertaken here. The scheme represents another significant link in the development of the road infrastructure to the west of Bann."

(JM)