DfI Roads outlines £68m programme for Mid & East Antrim but warns budget ‘falls significantly short’

The delivery of the “highest priority resurfacing projects, roadside stability, and drainage projects” in the Northern Division, including Mid & East Antrim, will be carried out by DfI Roads from a £68 million budget which “falls significantly short of funding requirements”, divisional roads manager Alan Keys has said.

Presenting the Northern Division’s annual report, Mr Keys addressed members of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee at The Braid, Ballymena, on Tuesday evening.

He confirmed that resurfacing schemes at the A2 Coast Road, Ballycarry; A43 Glenravel Road, Cargin; Ferniskey Road, Kells; and Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone are among those scheduled for 2025/26.

Resurfacing works completed during the last financial year included the M2 Ballymena Bypass, Hiltonstown Road and Dunminning Road, Ballymena, and Island Road, Larne.

Other locations completed were Linn Road, Lower Cairncastle Road, Upper Carneal Road, Moss Road, Carneal Road, Ballyrickard Road and Waterfall Road, Larne; Downview Road and Lennox Avenue, Carrickfergus; Park Drive, Park Mews, and 14 sites across Ballymena, including Pennybridge Industrial Estate.

Surface dressing was applied to five rural roads in the Carrickfergus area, six near Larne, four in Cargan, four in Broughshane and two in Martinstown.

Dropped kerbs have been installed on the A2 at Glynn, outside Larne, and at Ellis Street and Dunluskin Drive, Carrickfergus. A new footpath has also been provided at Bentra Road, Ballycarry.

It is anticipated that £2 million will be spent on resurfacing work during 2025/26 on routes including Coast Road, Ballygally; Ballyrickard Road; Island Road Lower; Ballywillan Road, Larne; Selby Road, Court and Close, Carrickfergus; Maine Road and Grove Road, Ballymena; Glenravel Road, Cargan; Ferniskey Road, Kells; Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone; Straid Road, New Road, Ahoghill; and Loughloughlin Road, Broughshane.

Mr Keys said that ‘active travel’ schemes continue to progress, with work to provide a shared footway and cycle path at Grove Road, Ballymena, now “substantially complete”.

Design work is ongoing for future ‘active travel’ provision at Fenaghy Road, Galgorm; Gortgole Road, Portglenone; and Raceview Road, Ballymena.

Acknowledging the challenges posed by the 2025–26 budget, Mr Keys reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to “delivering local transport improvements, safety schemes and maintenance initiatives that boost road safety”.

He confirmed that part-time 20mph zones will be introduced at an additional four schools in the Mid and East Antrim area: Hazelbank Primary, Carnaghts Primary, St Colmcille’s Primary, Ballymena, and St Mary’s Primary, Portglenone.

An upgrade of warning signage and installation of “high friction” surfacing is also scheduled for the Coast Road, Glenarm.

Street lighting upgrades during the last financial year included 59 lights replaced in the Donegall area of Whitehead, 41 in the first phase at Grove Road, Ballymena, nine in Carnlough (at Cranny Avenue and Moyle Gardens) and eight at Carnburn Road, Ballymena.

Street lighting improvements planned for the 2025/26 financial year include:

• Ballymena: Ballymoney Road (50), Springwell Street/Albert Place (30), Meadowvale (24), Grove Road Phase 2 (10)

• Carrickfergus: Belfast Road (48), Albert Road area (40), Larne Road (25), Dromore Road (20)

• Ahoghill: Old Portglenone Road (27), Straid Road (13)

• Ballygally: Coast Road (8), Grace Avenue area (11)

• Glenarm: Coast Road (13)

Structural repairs to the A8 Harbour Highway in Larne are also scheduled for 2025/26, alongside works at railway bridges at Clipperstown Road, Carrickfergus; Ballycarry Road, Islandmagee; Slaughterford Road; and Kings Road, Whitehead.

Network maintenance in the Northern Division includes drainage works, gully emptying, grass cutting and gritting.

The report also noted that grass cutting is carried out twice annually in both urban and rural areas for road safety reasons, with sight lines “re-cut as necessary”. Gullies are cleaned annually.

Meanwhile, road gritting covers 7,000 kilometres of main routes across Northern Ireland, costing £85,000 per night during icy conditions and £7 million over the winter season. Salt bins and grit piles are placed at “strategic locations” to assist with road safety during adverse weather.