Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has set out Roads Service's progress on investment totalling £26.2 million for road improvement and maintenance schemes in the Larne area this year.

The Minister said: "A wide range of road improvement and maintenance schemes is planned or already complete in the Larne Council area."

The Minister highlighted the recent commencement of the A8 Belfast to Larne Dual Carriageway Scheme. "On 11 October 2012, I cut the official sod for this £100million, major infrastructure project. The scheme seeks to improve journey times for this stretch of the A8 and will help remove the issues associated with platooning of traffic, thus reducing driver frustration and improving the safety performance of the route for all road users."

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The Minister said that the works are of significant importance to the economic development of Northern Ireland. "Investment in roads infrastructure is an essential component in creating jobs and future prosperity. In the short term, it provides much needed jobs in the construction sector, and in the longer term, particularly in the case of strategic road improvements, it facilitates the economic growth which is key to our future competitiveness.

"Therefore by upgrading the A8 to dual carriageway will help grow the local economy and contribute to the wider economic development in Northern Ireland, both in the short term and in the long term. It will also help with the development of the Port of Larne, which is the second largest Port in Northern Ireland."

It is estimated that 55,000 tonnes of concrete, 1,300 tonnes of steel reinforcement, 310,000 tonnes of bituminous material, will be used for the scheme which will lead to an increase in demand for local suppliers of construction material.

(CD)