Dumfries and Galloway MP Alister Jack will lead a parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall tomorrow (Wednesday) on the urgent need to upgrade the A75 euro-route.
Mr Jack will say, “This trunk road is a key artery of Dumfries and Galloway’s local economy, and I fear that if we do not see a sustained programme of upgrades to the A75 in the very near future then it will have a detrimental social and economic effect. Something that my constituency can ill-afford.”
Current figures suggest that 45% of Northern Ireland’s trade with the rest of the UK is transited through Loch Ryan, and the MP will use the debate to highlight the economic importance of the A75 for trading relations between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
He will say, “The Port of Cairnryan is home to two international ferry companies who operate ferries to and from Belfast, and Larne, in Northern Ireland. It is a route of strategic economic importance, and a major hub for freight and tourism movement, with over 9,000 sailings per annum carrying 1.7 million passengers, 415,000 cars, and 41,000 freight units.”
Mr Jack will draw attention to the growing concern that if the A75 continues to be neglected, haulier companies will explore other route option such as the one between Dublin and Holyhead.
“Poor road links to and from the ports is putting them at an extreme disadvantage, and in turn threatening the jobs and livelihoods that depend on these ports.”
Mr Jack will use the debate to repeat his call for the Borderlands Growth Deal Initiative to include investment in the A75, and call on the Scottish Government to fund by-passes for Springholm and Crocketford in his constituency.
Ahead of the debate the UK Government’s Transport Secretary, The Rt. Hon Chris Grayling MP, accepted an invitation from Mr Jack to visit Dumfries and Galloway later this year to see for himself the problems experienced by road users.
The Dumfries and Galloway MP also received a letter of support from the Chief Executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. In it Ann Donaghy stated that, “The A75, as part of the Euroroute E18, is the arterial route between Scotland and Northern Ireland, and connects us with the rest of the UK and Europe. As such, it is imperative that traffic can flow freely, that the road is safe and fit for purpose.”
Also this week the Freight Transport Association, which represents logistics operators on both sides of the Irish Sea, said that “for such a key route, the lack of consistent road surface is a headache for both freight operators and local residences, and deserves urgent attention.”
Mr Jack has previously met with Stena Line to discuss their concerns and received representations from the Road Haulage Association.
