Roads Minister Conor Murphy revealed that the cost of the massive A5 Western Transport Corridor (WTC) - when three different sections are costed separately - is a whopping £1.1billion on paper.
The road proposed between Newbuildings and Strabane is estimated to cost £383million, whilst further sections between Strabane and Omagh and between Omagh and Aughnacloy are estimated to cost £385million and £342million respectively.
Added together this amounts to over £250million more than the upper range of £650million - £850million budgeted for by the department from November 2008.
But Mr Murphy stressed that the high estimates for each separate section of the road had been carried out for comparative purposes and that efficiencies had been just one of the factors considered when selecting the preferred route.
In response to a written question submitted to the Department of Regional Development (DRD) the Minister said that when the road is developed efficiencies and savings will bring the cost down to the projected £650million - £850million range.
"It must be emphasised that these cost estimates were used for comparative purposes, and that economy is only one of the criteria used in determining the Preferred Route," the Minister stated.
"The other criteria are safety, environment, integration and accessibility, in accordance with Department for Transport guidance. After consideration of risk as well, as the efficiencies and savings which materialise as the scheme design develops, the estimated cost of the Preferred Route was subsequently adjusted to the range £650 million - £850 million," he added.
Further details of the scheme costs and rationale used are available on the project website www.a5wtc.com under Publications/Preferred Options Report.