Transport Minister Danny Kennedy has commended roads staff and contractors for the successful completion of road schemes in 2013/2014 which accounted for £8.51million investment in the roads infrastructure in the Coleraine area.

Mr Kennedy said: "My Department has invested over £135million in structural maintenance, improving the many miles of road infrastructure across Northern Ireland in the last financial year.

"Despite ever increasing demands on budgets, DRD invested over £8.51million in delivering a comprehensive range of road schemes and maintenance work in the Coleraine area.

"DRD is using its available resources highly effectively and continues to deliver quality public services in the Coleraine area and across Northern Ireland."

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Highlighting resurfacing schemes, the Minister said: "Road users in the Coleraine area have quickly realised the benefits of the investment by the Department with the completion of a number of significant lengths of carriageway resurfacing at a total cost of £3.04million, which included A2 Quilly Road, B62 Ballybogey Road, A2 Mussenden Road, A54 Agivey Road and C93 Creamery Road."

Previewing the work scheduled in the area over the next year, Danny Kennedy said: "Earlier this year I announced a £400,000 scheme to improve the capacity of Lodge Road Roundabout by providing an additional exit lane from the roundabout towards the railway bridge. My officials are now intending to bring forward an additional package of schemes totalling almost £600,000 on the A29 Ring Road between Lodge Road Roundabout and Ballycastle Road roundabouts to complement this work.

"The package of schemes includes the widening of the A29 Ring Road carriageway to provide two lanes in each direction; the signalisation of the existing access into ASDA; the signalisation of the Ring Road / Newmills Road junction; and the provision of a cycle / footway along the Ring Road between the two roundabouts to link to the existing provision. This significant investment of almost £1million will not only improve the capacity of the Lodge Road Roundabout but also enhance safety for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists on the A29 Ring Road between Lodge Road Roundabout and Ballycastle Road Roundabout."

(CD/IT)