Speaking ahead of this evening's meeting between Roads Service and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy outlined a number of major and minor schemes taking place in the Borough with the £3.3 million investment.
Mr Murphy said: "The works currently being carried out on the M2 motorway will deliver significant improvements to this strategic route. The Belfast bound carriageway is being widened to provide a third lane between the Sandyknowes and Greencastle junctions; the country bound carriageway is being widened to provide three lanes through the Greencastle junction; and the Hightown, Collinbridge and Longlands over-bridges are all being replaced.
-- Advertisement --
"Work on the bridges is well underway with new retaining walls constructed and embankments widened along the city and country bound carriageways."
The Minister also announced a number of minor improvement schemes across the Borough including bridge widening work and traffic calming schemes. He also went on to describe 2007/08 as being a "successful year" for structural maintenance, after a strong bid by Roads Service for additional funds led to more than £17 million of extra funding allocated to this important function.
"The additional resources mean that around £75million has been invested in the structural maintenance of our roads last year and it is planned to spend a further £200million over the next 3 years. The maintenance of surfaces and underlying structures of roads and footways is essential for the social and economic well-being in all areas in the north," he said.
"The Department will continue with its carriageway and footway resurfacing programme plus surface dressing and drainage improvement across the Borough,'' Mr Murphy concluded.
(JM)
