DRD announces £80 million road works proposals

Two new road proposals, costing around £80 million, have been promoted to the major works preparation pool, the Minister for Regional Development Peter Robinson said yesterday.

The A1 and A6 schemes, described by Minister Peter Robinson as "of vital importance", will begin early next year and form part of the Key Transport Corridors and the Trans-European network”.

The schemes will also see the dualling of the A6 Belfast to Londonderry road from the end of the M22 to Castledawson roundabout, and the dualling of the A1 Belfast to the border road between Beechill and Cloghogue roundabout.

The A1 project would be the final link in a series of schemes designed to provide a dual carriageway between Belfast and the Border en route to Dublin. The Beechill to Cloghogue scheme would provide 11 km of high-quality dual carriageway to the west of Newry and is estimated to cost over £50 million. A public exhibition about the scheme is scheduled for early 2003.

The A6 scheme forms part of the important Belfast to Londonderry route and is estimated to cost over £30 million, not including the section already under construction around Toome which will cost a further £18 million.

Schemes in the preparation pool normally progress to construction stage within about five years, provided they clear the statutory procedures and are subject to funding being available at the time.

Other schemes are still being considered and the outcome will become known when a transport plan for the Regional Strategic Transport Network is finalised next year.

Mr Robinson also announced two new Strategic Road Improvement schemes at a cost of over £1.1 million.

Beginning in the new year, a £700,000 climbing lane is to be constructed on the A6 Londonderry to Belfast main road at the Glenshane Pass while a £420,000 project is to begin on the main A32 Omagh to Enniskillen road.

Mr Robinson said: “The investment will provide significant improvements to these important routes and demonstrates my Department’s continuing commitment to the development of road links throughout Northern Ireland."

(GMcG)