NI Westlink is given the green light
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• Improvements on a notorious bottleneck in Northern Ireland have finally been given the go-ahead by the Northern Ireland Executive's Department for Regional Development.
The M1/Westlink project is part of the strategic road network in Northern Ireland Finking the Ml, M2, M3 the Port of Belfast, and Belfast's airports.
The Westlink carries an average of 65,000 vehicles a day, including some 15,000 CVs, with traffic jams occurring throughout the day.
Announcing the go-ahead for the longawaited £55m project, Regional Development Minister Gregory Campbell says: "It is widely recognised that removing the bottleneck at the Westlink is vital to the economy of Northern Ireland."
Chris Campbell, the Freight Transport Association's Northern Ireland representative, says: "Congestion will be reduced and journey times out. As a result operators will be better able to go about their essential work."
• Even if funding is approved, work on the Westlink could not start before 2004.