A6 Randalstown To Castledawson Dualling Scheme Opens

Work on the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Scheme has been completed.

The £189 million scheme to upgrade 14.7 kilometres of the A6 North Western Transport Corridor between Randalstown and Castledawson commenced in June 2017.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: "This is an exciting time for road users, the local community and all those involved in delivering the Flagship A6 Randalstown to Castledawson scheme as we celebrate the completion of works this weekend. I'm delighted to have the opportunity today to meet some of those who have worked tirelessly on this project over the past four years.

"In August 2019 and again in November 2020 stretches of the new dual carriageway were completed and gradually opened to the travelling public. This has already brought significant benefits for road users. The final completion of the scheme is therefore fantastic news for the 22,000 vehicles using the route each day. Car users, freight and public transport services along this route will benefit from shorter, safer and more reliable journey times. Crucially this will also allow our emergency services to achieve faster response times when assisting our citizens in need.

"The scheme has also helped to secure jobs in the construction industry, with the vast majority of construction spend going directly to the local economy. Significantly the project provided local employment opportunities for education leavers and the long term unemployed as well as training placements for apprentices and students across a number of disciplines. This has been an invaluable experience for all those involved and will assist them in their future careers."