The Stormont Executive has confirmed plans to proceed with a huge improvement scheme to one of the country's most dangerous roads.
It agreed to begin work on dualling the A5 which links Co Donegal to Co Monaghan through counties Derry and Tyrone.
The A5 dual-carriageway scheme is also being supported by the Irish Government to the tune of €600 million.
More than 50 people have been killed on it since it was first proposed for an upgrade in 2007.
Campaigners have welcomed the news of the A5 upgrade.
Chair of the A5 Enough Is Enough group Niall McKenna said that the AF has left a "catastrophic and notorious legacy" in the area.
"Provision of a new dual carriageway along this section will greatly enhance road safety and reduce the horrendously high number of accidents and fatalities.
"The A5 has left too many broken families devastated by its unsafe construct. We look forward to an imminent start, successful completion of this phase of the project and the remainder being similarly progressed in due course.
"Our thoughts, as always, remain with the families of victims of the A5".
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Work will begin next year on the 54km stretch in Co Tyrone between Strabane and Ballygawley.
It accounts for over half the planned upgrade and is the section where most fatalities have occurred.
Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said he would decide on the remaining sections as soon as possible.
"Today is in honour of all those who lost their lives or been seriously injured on this road.
"We paid tribute to them to all those who campaign so tirelessly for this upgrade to proceed," he said.
The initial section is expected to take five years to complete.
The upgrade has been delayed for years by legal challenges from landowners concerned about the compulsory purchase of ground along the 88km route.
They had argued that road improvements, including overtaking lanes, would have been sufficient to improve safety.
The cost of the upgrade is estimated to be just over €2 billion.
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The plan is to build it in phases and the funding commitment from the Irish Government makes it likely that a number of the phases can now commence.
The level of funding required to complete the scheme means questions may still remain over other phases, unless additional cash can be secured.
