Northern Ireland Roads Minister Conor Murphy has provided an update on a £4.1m trunk of work underway on the Ards peninsula, County Down.

Roads Service awarded a massive contract for the A20 Southern Distributor Link Road in Newtownards last February, with work commencing in March this year.

This scheme will link the Mayne Road to the Comber Road, as part of the multi-million pound Castlebawn Shopping development, proposed for the town.

Mr Murphy said the project was progressing well, and was due for completion by spring next year.

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The Minister continued: "The A20 Frederick Street scheme was awarded in February 2008 and work commenced in June 2008. The scheme is progressing as planned with work expected to be complete by late autumn 2008.

"Other schemes which have been completed this financial year include improvement to forward visibility on the Abbey Road and at the junction with the Woburn Road, Newtownards.

"Also the Bowtown Road, Newtownards has had improvements made to enhance the forward visibility," added the Minister.

Road Service's Acting Divisional Roads Manager Bertie Ellison welcomed the continued investment in local transport and safety measures in the Ards Council area.

Other scheduled work includes traffic calming schemes, measures to assist cyclists and pedestrians and a programme of school travel and safety projects.