Members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have been briefed by the Department for Infrastructure on planned road maintenance and improvements for 2025/26 and 2026/27.

Addressing councillors, Divisional Roads Manager Stephen Hughes said: "For planning purposes, an opening indicative allocation for structural maintenance of approximately £98m is being provided, which is approximately £30m higher than the opening allocation in the previous year. From this allocation the Department has targeted approximately £12.5m towards a Roads Recovery Fund. This funding will enable the delivery of the highest priority resurfacing, roadside stability and drainage projects.

"To help prioritise, the Department is developing a Transport Strategy 2035, which sets out a long-term vision and strategic framework for the region. The Strategy aims to support economic growth, strengthen regional balance, and enhance connectivity, while promoting a more sustainable transport system. It brings together key transport policy objectives within a single overarching framework, providing greater clarity on the context for the Department's decisions and the actions required across government to support delivery of these strategic outcomes.

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"In parallel, Local Transport Plans are being developed alongside councils' Local Development Plans to ensure a more integrated approach to transport and land use planning.

"Road safety also remains a high priority for the Department, and we are committed to working proactively to make our roads safer and address the needs of all road users."

Mr Hughes highlighted the previous year's programme, noting: "Last year, as part of an overall investment of £6.77m in resurfacing in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, we completed key resurfacing works on stretches of the A5 at Curr Road, the A32 at Tummery Road, Dromore and Mossfield Road Ballinamallard, and the A46 Loughshore Road, Enniskillen. Other notable schemes included the resurfacing of the B72 Meenacloy Road, Ederney and B122 Ecclesville Road, Fintona. Other projects, including the signalised crossing on the Omagh Road Drumquin, the 4 part-time 20mph at schools' schemes and 3 traffic calming schemes, have also been successfully completed."

Looking to the current plans, he added: "Looking ahead to 2026/27, we have completed further resurfacing on the A5 Beltany Road at Mountjoy and Coneywarren, the A5 Great Northern Road and the A32 at Irvinestown Road and Cornagrade Road, works are underway on the Kelvin Road in Omagh. We will also be progressing a number of traffic management schemes throughout the Fermanagh & Omagh district while continuing to manage the improvement works on the Mountjoy, Gortin and Strathroy Roads to facilitate the new Strule Shared Education Campus.

"Minister Kimmins has also just announced a fourth tranche of the part-time 20mph at schools programme, which lists 15 schools in Western Division, of which 8 are in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area."

Concluding, Mr Hughes said: "These projects will deliver significant benefits to both the local community and commuters in Fermanagh and Omagh."