Councillors meet with Area Roads Manager

Divisional Roads Manager David Porter told councillors at a meeting this week that over the last year, a number of “significant resurfacing schemes” have been completed in the borough.

These include the A43 Main Street, Cargan; the B96 Townhill Road, Portglenone; and U2222 Doury Road Estate, Ballymena.

“I am particularly pleased that the work at Lynn’s bridge on A36 Church Road, Glenwherry, has been progressed,” Mr Porter said.

He added: “This will ensure that the important link to the Port of Larne is maintained. The works were completed before the busy North West 200 race week.”

“These projects will provide widespread benefits to both the local community and commuters in the Mid & East Antrim Borough Council area.”

The Department’s 2018/19 roads structural maintenance capital budget is £75million.

“This budget will allow us to deliver a significantly increased number of both Trunk Road and Non-Trunk Road resurfacing schemes, a sustained programme of street lighting upgrades along with a slightly improved Local Transportation and Safety Measures allocation,” Mr Porter said.

Regarding the recent severe winter, which has had a “significant detrimental impact on the road network”, Mr Porter said the Department will continue to identify those roads most in need of repair and deliver this work alongside other ongoing priorities.

“Almost 40,000 surface defects have been repaired in the last few months,” Mr Porter said.

He adde that an ongoing maintenance programme will also include an enhanced grass cutting service to ensure all roadside verges and sightline grass will be cut at least twice in the period April to October; along with a full weed spraying operation.