Road repairs in Northern Ireland: Kimmins promises new strategy to tackle deterioration

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has told the Assembly that her new Road Maintenance Strategy, aimed at improving the quality of Northern Ireland’s roads, will be published in the coming weeks.

Addressing MLAs, the Minister said the condition of the road network is a growing concern, particularly in rural areas, and highlighted the long-term underinvestment that has contributed to its decline.

“Investing in the maintenance of roads is critical to the movement of people, and the growth of our economy so I fully understand the frustration when our roads are not at the quality we would all like them to be,” Minister Kimmins said.

She pointed to financial challenges facing her Department, which she said had been operating under “a difficult financial environment for a number of years due to underfunding and austerity by the British Government.”

The Minister acknowledged that “long-term underinvestment of our roads is impacting on its integrity leading to a steady deterioration, particularly in rural roads.”

Despite these pressures, Minister Kimmins confirmed her Department is pressing ahead with a new Road Maintenance Strategy designed to provide more sustainable and effective solutions.

“My Department is currently developing a new Road Maintenance Strategy. This will focus on delivering higher-quality repairs, instead of spreading resources too thinly, ensuring better value for money. It will be data driven and supported by new technologies to address the problem in a meaningful and sustainable manner,” she said.

The Minister also stressed her commitment to securing further funding to deliver improvements across the network.

“I will continue to work vigorously alongside my Executive colleagues to secure the investment needed to maintain and improve the quality of our road network for the people of the North,” she told MLAs.

She added that the value of properly maintained infrastructure extended far beyond road surfaces.

“My Department is focused on delivering positive change for people, the economy, and the environment. The value of our infrastructure cannot be overstated.”

The new strategy is expected to outline priorities for investment, introduce greater use of technology in repairs, and set out how resources will be deployed more effectively to improve the long-term condition of Northern Ireland’s road network.