Transport
Minister Danny Kennedy has commended roads staff and contractors for
the successful completion of road schemes in 2013/2014 which accounted
for £12.73million investment in the roads infrastructure
in the Carrickfergus area.Speaking ahead of this evening's meeting between DRD and Carrickfergus Borough Council, Danny Kennedy said: "My Department has invested over £135million in structural maintenance, improving the many miles of road infrastructure across Northern Ireland in the last financial year.
“In particular in the Carrickfergus area, despite ever increasing demands on budgets, DRD invested over £12.73million in delivering a comprehensive range of road schemes and maintenance work.
“DRD is using its available resources highly effectively and continues to deliver quality public services in the Carrickfergus area and across Northern Ireland.”
Commenting on the ongoing scheme to dual 3.5kilometres of the A2 Shore Road between Jordanstown Road and Seapark, the Minister continued: “Work which began on site in March 2013 is now halfway through the very tight 120 week programme and is on schedule for completion in the summer of 2015.
“Construction of the north bound carriageway is well established with accommodation works in most properties at an advanced stage while work on the off-line section between Station Road and Seapark is also progressing well, with the construction of the accommodation bridge well underway. Total expenditure on the scheme during the 2013/14 financial year in the Carrickfergus Council area was approximately £10million."
Highlighting resurfacing schemes, the Minister said: “Road users in the Carrickfergus area have quickly realised the benefits of the investment by the Department with the completion of significant lengths of carriageway resurfacing at a total cost of £1.28million, which included B58 Carrickfergus Road, B58 New Line, B58 Prospect Road and U3118 Sunnylands Avenue. Over 1.5kilometres of footway was also resurfaced at a cost of £100,000.”
Speaking at the meeting, Divisional Roads Manager, Deidre Mackle outlined some of the other significant areas of work completed by the Division. These included the provision of dedicated left and right turning lanes on Knockmore Park at the junction with Upper Road which incorporated an additional 40metres of footway along with a pedestrian island. On Middle Road at Woodburn the carriageway was widened to provide right turn pockets into both Meadow Hill and the Filling Station. The existing pedestrian island was replaced with a new PUFFIN controlled crossing to aid pedestrian crossing movements to the Filling Station and local bus stops. A PUFFIN crossing has also been provided on Victoria Road near Princess Way and a total of £25,000 was spent on sea wall repairs on the Sloefield Road, Carrickfergus.
To find out more about road improvements and the work of the Department for Regional Development visit: http://www.drdni.gov.uk/
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