Fresh doubts have been raised over the delivery of the long-awaited Enniskillen Southern Bypass, with a local MLA warning that recent progress does not yet mean construction will begin.

A Notice of Intention to Award has been issued for the A4 scheme, but Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Diana Armstrong said this is not the same as a signed contract or the start of work.

Armstrong said the project remains dependent on the outcome of a legal appeal involving the A5 road and the successful completion of procurement. "A Notice of Intention to Award is not the same as a contract being awarded, and it is certainly not the same as construction beginning," she said.

The bypass has been discussed for decades and is seen as key to tackling congestion in Enniskillen. Traffic problems cause frustration for motorists and businesses, and even minor road closures can cause widespread disruption.

Armstrong welcomed the inclusion of the bypass in the Executive's draft budget, but said the focus must now be on certainty: funding, procurement timetable, and a clear start date. She noted that previous funding allocated to the project was returned because it could not be spent, partly due to the A5 legal challenge.

She warned against using the bypass as a pre-election announcement ahead of May elections. "This cannot be a piecemeal offering designed simply to tide the Minister and her party over until the May elections," she said. "We should not be playing politics with something as important as this."

Armstrong said she will continue to press the Infrastructure Minister for clear answers on remaining barriers. "The people deserve more than another promise that the bypass is just around the corner," she said.