Inset: Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd
Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has made an additional £8.1million capital investment in the structural road maintenance programme this year across Northern Ireland.
In a written statement to the Assembly the Minister said:
“Members will no doubt agree that it is vital that all available capital budget within my Department is fully utilised to deliver much needed investment in our infrastructure, including on the maintenance of our roads.
“Due to a decade of Tory cuts and austerity, and the budgetary constraints faced by my Department, the initial capital allocation regrettably fell well short of the amount necessary to maintain the road network to the required standard.
“I recently addressed the Assembly to announce the allocation of an extra £1million to target areas of highest priority with small scale resurfacing schemes, designed to repair areas that have suffered the most and where localised repairs are less effective.
“I am now in a position to announce an additional £8.1million of funding for my Department’s Structural Maintenance Programme to deliver additional resurfacing schemes and continue to address the poor condition of our road network.
“This investment has been made possible through a combination of additional funding from the Executive supplemented by a reallocation within my Department.
“Work will start immediately on the planning and delivery of these new schemes. This represents a significant additional investment in our road network, and as the Minister for Infrastructure, I am committed to improving this vital asset for the benefit of our citizens, our communities and our economy."