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Northern Irish roads et E800m pledge

31st March 2005, Page 20
31st March 2005
Page 20
Page 20, 31st March 2005 — Northern Irish roads et E800m pledge
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

PLANS TO SPEND £770m on improving Northern Ireland's crumbling road network have been welcomed by operators.

But Tom Wilson, the Freight Transport Association's manager in Northern Ireland,says the investment is long overdue: "It's good news but you have to remember that we are looking ahead 10 years before many of the improvements are made. After these agreements are announced it's always five years before you see any diggers and several years more before the work is complete."

However, some of the projects announced last week have already been completed. A spokesman for the Department of Regional Development denies this was done to maximise the headline spending figure: "It's just that the transport plan was always intended to last from 2002-2015,so some projects have been completed, some are in progress and others have yet to come."

Major projects include a f102m upgrade of the A1 to dual carriageway between Beechill and Cloghogue, and a similarly priced upgrade on the A4 between Dungannon and Ballygawley. Both of these have yet to be carried out.

The FTA is also concerned that some roads are not listed for improvement, including the AS into Larne,which is used by operators to get onto the ferry to Fleetwood.Wilson says this road should be made into a dual carriageway.

Last year the FTA highlighted the contrast between the quality of roads in Northern Ireland and the Republic, which has taken full advantage of European grants to improve its roads.


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