There has been a major investment in roads across a Co Antrim city with the Transport Minister Conor Murphy welcoming Roads Service's progress on work totalling £6.4million in the Lisburn area this year - and there's an important motorway connection being planned as well.

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

Although much of the city's roads - in common with most of NI - remained under ice and snow as the current deep freeze weather continued, the Minister also noted that a high standard road link is being planned between the M1 motorway and the A1.

He said: "This scheme is being developed to address the existing congestion issues on the M1 and the M1/A1 junction which in turn forms part of the Eastern Seaboard Corridor between Larne, Belfast and on to Dublin.

"It is anticipated that the proposed works will include grade separation of the roundabout junction on the A1 at Hillsborough.

"This will aid strategic traffic by reducing journey times and minimise the potential for delays in the Sprucefield area," he said.

Roads Service has appointed contractor Scott Wilson to develop scheme proposals as part of a 10-year Forward Planning Schedule.

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Their remit will include consideration of a range of options which best accommodate traffic capacity enhancement and take account of development land potential.

Once scheme plans are formulated they will be subject to normal public consultation and scrutiny.

Subject to successful completion of the normal statutory processes and availability of funding the scheme is estimated for delivery between 2014 and 2018.

Commenting, Deputy Divisional Roads Manager, Bertie Ellison said: "A wide range of local schemes have been successfully planned and delivered in the Lisburn City Council area in the past 12 months.

"These include signalised junction provision at Main Street / Meeting Street, Moira; a pelican crossing and footway link on Pond Park Road at Finch Gardens; village gateway treatment at Hillsborough and asphalt resurfacing at Mercer Street / Hillhall Road, Wardsborough Road and Graham Gardens.

"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 City, so that these can be delivered as resources permit," he said.

Meanwhile, the Lagan Valley Alliance Party MLA Trevor Lunn has said it's essential that work on the motorway connection for Lisburn, and other projects planned for the area, go ahead in a timely fashion.

"It's good to see that these are in the forward planning schedule and have not been discarded due to recent cuts. I would like to see the motorway connection scheme going ahead in a timely fashion. Lisburn and the surrounding areas really needs a project like this to help ease traffic problems.

"There are also a wide range of other roadworks planned by Roads Service for the future, like signal junction provision in Moira's Main Street, a pelican crossing and footway link at the Pond Park Road and resurfacing at Mercer Street/Hillhall Road, Wardsborough Road and Graham Gardens.

"It is important that we see these vital works going ahead so that a good quality service is provided, and progress on them will also help ensure more employment in the already hard-hit construction sector."

(BMcC/KMcA)