NI Transport Minister Conor Murphy has welcomed Roads Service's progress on investment totalling £6.2million in the Ballymena Borough Council area this year.

The Minister said: "Roads Service is committed to ensuring that it can make best use of our resources and continue to deliver quality public services.”

The Minister also noted that improvement works have been completed on the M2 Ballymena Bypass.

"This project will deliver significantly improved journey times and safety for all traffic travelling north and south along this route. Many people will now be looking forward to travelling on it and experiencing the important benefits that it will provide," he said.

Traffic Management measures to improve traffic flow and pedestrian facilities at the junction of the Larne Road Link and Bridge Street has also commenced on site.

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This scheme will address queuing on the Larne Road Link approach to the junction and create a new pedestrian route across Bridge Street.

Work on the scheme, which is costing £120,000 is being carried out at night to minimise any impact on traffic at this busy junction. Collision Remedial work is currently under way on the Whitesides Road from Largy Road to Glebe Road and the completed scheme will cost £25,000. High friction surfacing, new road markings and upgraded signage has been completed and some further work on improving drainage will be carried out in the near future.

"In addition, over 10km of resurfacing has been completed in the Borough this year at a cost of £780,000. Significant asphalt resurfacing schemes were carried out on Carnlough Road, Cushendall Road and Knockan Road. Bitmac resurfacing on Hillmount Road, Ballyconnelly Road and Knockan Road were also completed."

Principal Engineer Uel Wilson said: "A wide range of local schemes have been successfully planned and delivered in the Ballymena Borough in the past 12 months. The ever tightening public expenditure environment in this current year is challenging.

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

(GK/BMCC)