Construction BUSINESS

The York Street Interchange project in Belfast, aimed at alleviating congestion at Northern Ireland’s busiest road junction, has faced persistent delays and escalating costs since its announcement in 2007.

The project proposes replacing the current signal junction with grade-separated interchange links between the Westlink, M2, and M3, along with the construction of an underpass and railway bridges. However, legal challenges and other issues have hindered progress, despite ongoing spending on design work and consultants, amounting to £23.7m by March last year.

While the scheme was not prioritized in the Department for Infrastructure’s road projects list last August, it continues to undergo various work streams. Nevertheless, the lack of a set construction date raises concerns about further cost escalation.

Originally estimated to cost between £120m and £165m in 2015, the project’s final price is under review, echoing the pattern seen with other major construction endeavors like the Casement Park redevelopment, where costs surged from an initial estimate of £77.5m to potentially over £300m.

With no end in sight to the delays and the mounting financial burden, urgent progress is imperative for the York Street Interchange project to address traffic congestion and support the local economy.