Fermanagh Roads Scheme Is Applauded

There was doubly good news this week from the Stormont Transport Minister Conor Murphy.

He welcomed Roads Service's progress on investment totalling £5.6m in the Fermanagh area and also commented on yesterday's announcement by Market Resource Partners (MRP) Ltd of their intention to create over 100 jobs in the Newry area.

The Sinn Fein Minister (pictured) first noted that improvement works are nearing completion at Thompson's Bridge on the Derrylin Road, Enniskillen and said: "This scheme costing approximately £1m involves replacing the old bridge together with road realignment over approximately 250m.

"In addition road widening to provide four lanes along Wellington Road Enniskillen at Eden Street and over 1.4 km of asphalt resurfacing has been completed, so far in the District this year, with further resurfacing work programmed for completion by the end of the year," he said.

Divisional Roads Manager Pat Doherty said: "A wide range of local schemes have been successfully planned and delivered in the Fermanagh District in the past 12 months.

"The ever tightening public expenditure environment in this current year is challenging.

"Despite this, I remain committed to developing a programme of high priority road improvement and maintenance schemes for the District; so that these can be delivered as resources permit."

Mr Doherty also welcomed the additional £1.165m funding made available to Roads Service following the Fermanagh Flooding Task Force Report.

He said: "A programme of work to alleviate flooding on a number of roads throughout the county is progressing well at present and it is expected that it will be completed before Christmas."

As well as being the Roads Minister in the Stormont Executive, Mr Murphy is also the Newry & Armagh MP and as such said that while he could not attend the MRP announcement on Monday due to a debate in the Assembly, said: "This is very welcome news for Newry, particularly during this bleak economic climate, and confirms Newry as an excellent location for inward investment.

"These 106 high quality jobs will bring a much needed boost to the local economy and I would like to congratulate MRP Ltd, First Derivates and all those associated with this development."

(BMcC/GK)