A total of £3.7m will be spent on maintenance schemes and operations in the Newry and Mourne area in the coming year according to Minister for Regional Development Danny Kennedy. This represents a considerable reduction in the amount spent in previous years – with £6.6m spent on considerable works last year. This reduction should come as no surprise to road users as the minister warned of budget constraints last year. “It is likely the programme of local transport and safety measures 2012/ 13 and 2013/ 14 will be under considerable pressure,” he said at the time. Announcing the £3.7m commitment Minister Danny Kennedy said: “Last years budget for structural maintenance and local transport and safety measures allowed a good range of such schemes to be successfully delivered. Roads Service’s budgets for road maintenance and improvement schemes are greatly reduced this year inline with the four year budget agreed by the Executive. However Roads Service is using its available resources effectively and continuing to deliver quality public services. Among the projects scheduled to go ahead in the next 12 months are a 230m footway at St Brigids Primary School Creggan. Also planned are the upgrade of traffic signals at Buttercrane Quay/ Francis Street/ Merchants Quay Junction and Merchants Quat/ Monaghan Street Junction.
Newry Reporter
23rd May 2012
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