The Department for Infrastructure, which said "too many lives had been lost on the road" confirmed on Friday that work on the A5 upgrade could begin next year.
In a statement to The Irish News a spokesperson said: "The public inquiry on the project is due to reconvene on May 15 in the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh.
"It is anticipated that a final report from the Planning Appeals Commission will then follow later in the year.
"Subject to the successful completion of all statutory procedures and environmental assessments and the availability of funding, construction work could commence during 2024."
The spokesperson said the upgrade was "essential, first and foremost to improve road safety. The Department is acutely aware of the collision history along the existing road. Too many lives have been lost and our sincere condolences go out to all those families who have lost a loved one. We also sympathise with those who have been injured in road traffic collisions.
“The Department is doing all that we can within our powers to progress the A5 Western Transport Corridor project in line with statutory procedures."
The statement added that the department continues "to engage with the appointed contractors to ensure a readiness for construction when the public inquiry process is completed and if / when a decision to proceed with the scheme is made.
“The Department has recently completed a comprehensive review of the project estimate to account for factors such as current rates of construction inflation. The latest project estimate is £1.6bn.”
