A total of £10 million is to be invested to improve and upgrade rural roads throughout Northern Ireland.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard earmarked additional funding announced by the Finance Minister for resurfacing work on 1,000 rural roads.

Minister Hazzard said: "I am delighted to announce that rural communities across the region will benefit from a £10million road improvement package to stop deterioration and repair severe defects on their local road network.

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"The improvements will target around 1,000 rural roads, repairing many short lengths of road (20-50m) in particularly poor condition, together with a number of longer resurfacing schemes of around one kilometre."

Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer welcomed the investment.

He said: "Many roads in rural areas are in urgent need of repair and resurfacing and this money will go along way to improving the condition and will also help to make a number of roads safer for motorists, pedestrians and road users."

(CD/MH)