Roads Service to invest £1million in Carrickfergus Area

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy announced a £1million investment for the Carrickfergus Borough Council area this year.

Speaking ahead of today's meeting between Roads Service and Carrickfergus Borough Council, the Minister said: "Schemes planned for delivery in the current financial year include enhanced structural integrity and remedial works following a fire on the embankment at Barnhalt road bridge; further extension of remote monitoring of signals by the Roads Service Traffic Information Control Centre and drainage works at Dalwaysbawn Road plus the A2 Larne Road towards Ballycarry."

Mr Murphy welcomed the road maintenance schemes completed in the Carrickfergus area last year. He said that this year's increased allocation for structural maintenance would allow a larger number of resurfacing schemes to proceed on local roads this financial year.

Road Service’s Divisional Roads Manager, Tom McCourt welcomed the planned investment in local transport and safety measures in the Carrickfergus Borough area. This includes traffic calming, collision remedial, pedestrian measures, cycling measures and safer routes to schools.

Schemes which will be taken forward in the Carrickfergus Borough area this year include further extension of the Safer Routes to Schools programme which will benefit St Nicholas Primary school and traffic calming/street lighting schemes at Dean Park, Taylors Avenue and Sunnylands Avenue.

In addition to the schemes that will be delivered in 2009/10, Mr McCourt drew attention to the development work that was being undertaken on strategic road improvements schemes in Eastern Division. Proposals for the provision of a continuous two lane dual carriageway between Carrickfergus and the M5 at Whiteabbey continue to be progressed. Statutory Notices for the A2 Shore Road scheme at Greenisland were published on 1October 2008. The final Statutory Notice, the Vesting Order will be completed when funding becomes available. Subject to the availability of finance it is anticipated that construction work could begin in 2010/11 and is likely to take up to two years to complete.

Roads Service has also been in consultation with local government representatives on matters arising from the Review of Public Administration. These included the details of functions to be transferred to local government in 2011 and the arrangements to allow the new councils to influence roads programmes.

Mr McCourt highlighted some of the schemes already completed in 2008/09. A 100m brick clad road restraint system was provided parallel to the rail line just south of Whitehead Station; a collision remedial scheme is in place on the A2 Larne Road from Kilroot Station Road to Quay Lane and a Safer Routes to School scheme was implemented at the Model Primary School.

Notes to Editors:

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