£3M investment planned for Banbridge roads

The NI Roads Service have today announced that a £3 million capital and maintenance investment is planned for the Banbridge area in the year ahead.

It is expected that the dualling of the A1 between Loughbrickland and Beech Hill will be finished by late summer 2006 and other schemes, which are to be taken forward around Banbridge include improvements to the Ringsend/ Old Newry Road Juction; provision of a footway at Huntly Road; improvements to the Lisnaree/ Rathfriland Road junction and realignment of the A50 road at Corbet Lough.

Speaking to Banbridge District Council, Divisional Roads Manager, Mr John White, said: “Roads Service is making every effort to keep disruption to a minimum by completing as many schemes as possible during the summer months when there is generally less traffic. However, most road users appreciate that road improvements can’t be done without some disruption to traffic.”

Mr White continued: “In the last three years some £735 million has been spent on developing and maintaining the road network across Northern Ireland - £495 million on road maintenance and £240 million on capital improvements. This represents a huge investment."

It is understood that Councillors were reminded of the decision, following the Review of Public Administration, that the responsibility for local roads is expected to transfer to seven new local authorities in Spring 2009.

The local road network consists of all roads except motorways and trunk roads and comprises about 23,700km of the 25,000km of public roads throughout Northern Ireland.

Mr White added:“Roads Service is currently assessing the implications of this decision and identifying how it can help to facilitate the smooth transfer of local roads responsibilities. The associated financial, staff and other resource consequences will require careful consideration.”

He also informed the Council that the Department for Regional Development are to take over the PSNI's current responsibilities for parking enforcement in the Autumn.

He also took the opportunity to highlight some of the schemes completed in 2005/06, which included the realignment of the B2 Lurgan Road at Ballygowan Road junction; improvements to visibility at the Ballynaris Hill Road/ Lurgan Road junction; improvements to Huntly Road, Banbridge and a junction improvement at the Derrylough Hill/ Rathfriland Road Junction.

(EF/SP)