Roads Service To Invest £21.5Million In Derry

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy has announced a £21.5million investment for the Derry City council area this year.

Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s meeting between Roads Service and Derry City Council, the Minister said: “The contract to dual 6.75km of the A2 between Maydown to City of Derry Airport has recently been awarded to Lagan Construction Ltd. Construction work is now underway and will take approximately 18 months to complete.”

In addition to the schemes that will be delivered in 2009/10, the Minister also made reference to the development work that was being undertaken on strategic road improvement schemes in the Derry City area. He said: “I particularly welcome the recent announcements of the preferred routes for the A6 dualling, Derry to Dungiven and the Buncrana Road widening scheme.”

Mr Murphy welcomed the road maintenance schemes progressed in the Derry City area last year. He said 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, Jim Beattie, welcomed the planned investment in local transport and safety measures in the Derry City area, which includes traffic calming, collision remedial, pedestrian measures, cycling measures and safer routes to schools.

"Schemes which will be taken forward in the Derry City Council area this year include: the first phase of the proposed carriageway improvements on the C516 Trench Road, in the vicinity of Killymallaght Road junction, involving widening approximately 500m of existing carriageway and improvements to the forward sight visibility and junction visibility splays; right turn lanes are being provided on the A6 at Lismacarrol Road and The Belfry; and traffic calming measures are to be installed at Rossdowney Road, Eastway, Hawthorne Terrace and Knockwellan Park in the city,” said Mr Beattie.

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 Beattie also highlighted some of the schemes that were completed in 2008/09. These included, the widening of Park Bridge, Park to provide a cycle/footway; footway provision on Racecourse Road from Ballyarnet Village to link to the permanent travelling people’s housing development; new entrance and exit slip roads were provided at Altnagelvin Hospital on the A6 as part of the resurfacing works on Altnagelvin Brae; traffic calming measures, such as speed cushions and build-outs were provided at Blackburn Crescent, Woodburn Park, Kilburn Crescent, Ashbourne Avenue, Bishop Street Without and Brook Street, in the city; and traffic calming measures were also provided under the Safer Routes to Schools Initiative at St Eithne’s Primary School and Holy Child Primary School, Creggan.

Roads Service has also completed a number of schemes funded by DSD within the Waterside, Triax and Outer North Neighbourhood Partnership areas. These works were funded to the value of £495,000 and included footway and carriageway refurbishment, upgrading of street lighting and drainage improvements.

Notes to Editors

Media queries to: Anne Burke, Department for Regional Development, Press Office, 02890 540007.