Belfast's new M1/Westlink scheme is gearing up to take it's first full influx of weekly traffic on Monday, after the official unveiling of the £104m project on Wednesday.

Roads Minister Conor Murphy said the improvements to the route will deliver huge benefits to the local economy.

He said the construction of two new underpasses at Broadway and Grosvenor Road junctions will ensure shorter and more reliable journey times.

The Minister described the scheme was one of the most complex and challenging civil engineering projects that Roads Service had undertaken.

"It involved the construction of a large temporary bridge at Grosvenor Road and the diversion of two rivers and major underground services at Broadway to allow the two underpasses to be constructed at these junctions," he said.

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Mr Murphy lauded the contractors for the early completion of the project.

"It is also important to acknowledge the contractor's excellent safety record on this major scheme, which has been delivered without any serious accidents," said the Minister.

At the height of construction over 450 people were employed on the M1/Westlink and M2 improvements schemes and to date, over two million man hours have been worked on the construction of these schemes. This is equivalent to 50 men working for 20 years

"The limited impact of the works on traffic is a result of careful planning by Roads Service and the contractor HMC and the introduction of a range of temporary traffic management measures to minimise disruption," added Mr Murphy.

Leo Martin, Project Director for HMC said: "The construction of the underpasses, and the on-line widening, were particularly challenging but made to look effortless by a team of dedicated staff and subcontractors who worked tirelessly throughout the last three years to get us to where we are now."

(PR/JM)