Transport Minister Conor Murphy has welcomed Roads Service’s progress on investment totalling £3.6million in the Castlereagh area this year.

Speaking ahead of yesterday's evening meeting between Roads Service and Castlereagh Borough Council, 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 road widening works are planned for the A55 Ring Road at Knock. He said: "Following commencement of the associated formal statutory procedures in November 2009, the Department decided to hold a Public Inquiry following receipt of over 100 written objections. The Inquiry Inspectors are currently considering these objections together with verbal submissions they began hearing on 8 November 2010. In due course and upon receipt of the Inspectors report the Department will make a final decision on whether to take the scheme forward.

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"If this major project is to proceed, the construction timescale shall, as always, be dependant upon completion of the statutory processes, an economic appraisal and availability of funding. The Investment Delivery Plan for Roads, which was published in 2008, identified this scheme for delivery during the period 2013/14 to 2017/18."

Divisional Roads Manager, Ken Hutton said: “A wide range of local schemes have been successfully planned and delivered in the Castlereagh Borough area in the past 12 months. These include construction of the Cairnshill Park and Ride terminal, car park and additional bus lane provision which facilitated implementation of a new bus service from 1 November; street lighting provision at KiIwarlin Crescent and carriageway resurfacing at Glen Road, Grahamsbridge Road and Gransha Road.

"The ever tightening public expenditure environment in this current year is however challenging. Despite this, I remain 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)