AA: New stretch of Belfast-Dublin road is death trap

The AA has described a new section of dual carriageway on the main Belfast to Dublin road as a death trap.

The six-mile stretch of road is located north of Newry and cost £25m (€37m) to build.

However, it is not up to full motorway standard and includes sections in the central reservation allowing traffic from country roads to wait until it is safe to join the main carriageway.

This means vehicles seeking to turn right after exiting country roads must cross two lanes of traffic, wait in the central reservation and then join another two lanes of fast-moving cars when they feel it is safe to do so.

The Stormont Roads Service says the new road exceeds required standards, but the AA says the hazardous gaps "belong back in the 1960s".

It says flyovers, while more costly, are a better option given the risk of fatal accidents.