Millions spent on Mid & East Antrim roads as new resurfacing and lighting schemes revealed for 26/27
Monday 26 October 2026
Mid and East Antrim councillors have been given details of millions of pounds spent on road improvements across the borough during the last financial year, alongside plans for further resurfacing, maintenance and street lighting upgrades in 2026/27.
Presenting the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) annual roads report to the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee at The Braid in Ballymena last week, Alan Keys, Divisional Roads Manager for DfI Roads Northern Division, stressed that road safety remains “a high priority”.
“It is recognised that there is much more to do as we seek to improve and protect the vital road network,” he stated.
Mr Keys outlined the Department’s approach to maintaining roads amid continuing financial pressures, including approximately £12.5 million allocated to a Roads Recovery Fund for priority resurfacing, roadside stability and drainage projects.
Road maintenance and safety priorities
Councillors were told that the Department continues to prioritise essential services, with a limited service policy remaining in place for routine maintenance activities, including defect repairs, grass cutting and gully emptying.
Under the policy, defects deeper than 50mm can be repaired on all roads, including lightly trafficked rural routes. Defects deeper than 20mm on heavily trafficked roads may also be repaired, subject to available resources.
Mr Keys said the Department aims to cut grass affecting sightlines at least twice between April and October on more heavily trafficked roads, and once annually on other routes where it is safe to do so.
He explained that the approach seeks to “balance the need for road safety while protecting our environment and encouraging biodiversity”.
However, sightlines at bends and junctions will be cut “as frequently as required to ensure public safety”.
Additional funding has also been directed towards improving the quality and extent of patch repairs, alongside drainage cleaning, signage repairs and the renewal of road markings.
Millions invested in resurfacing across the borough
The report detailed a series of completed road improvement schemes, including £1.3 million of resurfacing on the trunk road network at Moorfields Road, Ballymena.
A further £3.35 million was spent on resurfacing schemes at locations including:
• Coast Road, Ballygally
• ECOS Roundabout, Ballymena
• Glenravel Road, Cargan
• Ballyrickard Road, Larne
• Grove Road, Ballymena
• Ferniskey Road, Kells
• Hiltonstown Road, Portglenone
• Springmount Road, Clough
• Cardonaghy Road, Ahoghill
Surface dressing works costing £1.3 million were also completed on routes including Doury Road and Slaght Road in Ballymena, Ballybollen Road and Drumramer Road in Ahoghill, Mount Davys Road in Cullybackey and Carmagrum Road in Portglenone.
All the surface dressing locations identified in the report were within the Ballymena area.
Footpath improvements completed
Footpath resurfacing schemes worth approximately £350,000 were completed at locations across Mid and East Antrim.
These included:
• Donegall Close and Park Drive, Whitehead
• Glenvale Park, Glynn
• Blackcave and Cairngrove, Larne
• Ferniskey Road and Carngrove Park, Ballymena
• Killane Road and Ballymena Road, Ahoghill
• Hilton Park, Portglenone
Road resurfacing planned for 2026/27
Looking ahead, the Department has outlined £3.8 million of planned road resurfacing schemes during the 2026/27 financial year.
The proposed locations are:
• Larne Road, Carrickfergus
• North Road, Ballymena
• Moorfields Road, Ballymena
• Galgorm Road, Ballymena
• Grove Road, Ballymena
• Waterfall Road, Larne
A further £1.13 million of surface dressing works is planned, covering 15 locations in the Ballymena area, alongside Munie Road in Glenarm and Ballymullock Road in Larne.
Street lighting upgrades completed
The annual report also outlined completed street lighting improvements across the borough, with hundreds of lights upgraded at locations including:
• Albert Road, Carrickfergus – 82 lights
• Belfast Road, Carrickfergus – 48 lights
• Fergus Avenue pathway, Carrickfergus – 15 lights
• Old Portglenone Road – 27 lights
• Straid Road, Ahoghill – 13 lights
• Meadowvale, Ballymena – 24 lights
• Grove Road, Ballymena – 10 lights
• Coast Road, Ballygally – seven lights
• Foxhill, Ballymena – seven lights
• Knocklayde Crescent, Larne – four lights
Further lighting improvements proposed
Additional street lighting upgrades have been identified for 2026/27, although delivery will depend on available funding.
The proposed schemes include:
• Larne Road, Carrickfergus – 25 lights
• Grace Avenue North, Ballygally – four lights
• Grace Avenue, Ballygally – seven lights
• Ballymoney Road, Ballymena – 50 lights
• Springwell Street/Albert Place, Ballymena – 30 lights
• Coast Road, Glenarm – 13 lights
• Dromore Road, Carrickfergus – 20 lights
• Colinwood, Ballymena – 16 lights
• Main Street, Kells – 19 lights
• Greenland Road, Larne – 25 lights
The programme highlights continuing investment in the borough’s road network, with further improvements planned across Ballymena, Larne, Carrickfergus and surrounding rural communities, subject to the Department’s available resources.
