Roads service to invest £2.7million in Limavady area

Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy, announced investment totalling £2.7million is planned for the Limavady area this year.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s meeting between Roads Service and Limavady Borough Council, the Minister said: “It is proposed to realign the bend just north of Dungiven, on the B68 Ballyquin Road, in the townland of Scriggan which has been the scene of a number of serious accidents.

"Roads Service faces some very significant challenges over the next few years as it gears up to deliver a demanding programme of strategic road improvements while planning to restructure in line with the outcome of the Review of Public Administration.

“The Strategic Road Improvement Programme envisages an investment of £1.4billion in the period up to 2015. Around £1billion of these schemes have already been identified and a consultation on a further £400million of schemes was completed at the end of 2006. In addition, the National Development Plan 2007-2013, contains proposals on the inter-urban routes linking the main population centres of Dublin, Belfast and the North West.”

Road Service’s Divisional Roads Manager, Jim Beattie, welcomed the continued high level of investment in local transport and safety measures in the Limavady Borough Council area, which includes traffic calming, collision remedial, pedestrian measures, cycling measures and Safer Routes to Schools.

Other schemes which will be taken forward in the Limavady Borough Council area include provision of junction visibility sight lines at Plantation Road/Sistrakeel Road; improvements to the forward sight distance and junction visibility improvements on the Carnamuff Road at Nedd Road junction; footway construction at Burnfoot; and completion of the link between the two developments at Rossaire Road, Limavady.

Mr Beattie said: “It is also proposed that the Review of Public Administration will see responsibility for the maintenance and development of local roads, approximately 23,700km of the total 25,000km of public roads, transfer to the seven new Councils in May 2009.

“Despite these challenges, Roads Service will continue to concentrate on scheme delivery in Limavady Borough Council area. To minimise the disruption that will arise from our works we will also be making every effort to give motorists advance warning of roadworks through signage and information prior to works. There will be updated information on our website and radio traffic reports.’’

Mr Beattie also took the opportunity to highlight some of the schemes already completed in 2006/07. These included footway provision and street lighting at Dry Arch, Dungiven; vertical realignment and junction visibility improvements at Ballyquin Road/Drumaduff Road junction; forward sight distance improvements at Birren Road Dungiven; and visibility sight line improvements at Baranailt Road/Highlands Road.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Media queries to: Michaela Smyth or Emma Flynn Davies, Department for Regional Development, Press Office, 02890 540372.