Roads Minister visits salt mines

Roads Minister Conor Murphy today inspected operations at the salt mines at Kilroot, Carrickfergus.

The Salt Mines, which are owned by Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Ltd, produce the rock salt used by Roads Service to salt the road network during its annual winter service programme.

During his visit the Minister toured the mines and met with employees. He said: "I want to take the opportunity today to thank all of the employees for their hard work in producing rock salt for the Roads Service winter service programme. The timely supply of this salt is vital, especially during times such as the recent severe cold spell, during which Roads Service worked tirelessly night and day to ensure that the main roads network, which carries 80% of traffic, remained open.

"Between the start of October and end of April each year, Roads Service uses approximately 50,000 tonnes of salt during the winter service programme. However this year, Roads Service has already spread 70,000 tonnes of salt and will probably see many more nights salting before the winter is over. Roads Service continues to replenish stocks of salt to ensure there is adequate supplies for the remainder of this winter."

Notes to editors:

1. The annual cost of the winter service programme is around £5million.
2. Weather forecasters have revealed that January was the coldest month for a quarter of a century, with arctic temperatures gripping Ireland throughout most of the month. Meteorologists noted the first ten days of January continued a spell of exceptionally cold weather that began in mid-December, representing the most extreme cold spell over Ireland since 1963.
3. Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Ltd has been mining de-icing rock salt at its Kilroot Mine, near Carrickfergus since 1965. The mines are 1200ft below ground, with approx 30 miles of tunnels. The rock salt is produced by room and pillar dry mining. The salt bed is undercut, then drilled and blasted. This broken salt is then loaded by front-end shovels into 30 tonne dump trucks and hauled to the crushing plant. This crushing and screening is completed underground, the finished product being transported via a 2km network of conveyors to the surface.
4. Media queries should be directed to the Department for Regional Development Press office on 028 9054 0004. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.