£310k improvement schemes for road

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has announced that the Carnalbanagh Road will benefit from two improvement schemes, with a combined value of around £310,000, which are scheduled to begin shortly.

Both schemes on the C66 Carnalbanagh Road will provide 4.9 kilometres of new road surfaces.

The scheme in Larne extends from the Kilnacolpagh Road to the Lough Road, while the Ballymena scheme extends from the Racavan Road to the Shillanavogy Road. Work is expected to be complete by the end of May.

Danny Kennedy stated: “This is a significant investment and both schemes will help improve the road network in the area which was badly affected by the heavy snowfall last year.”

Last March, the isolated Carnalbanagh Road was impassable due to around eight feet of tightly-packed snow. Locals were forced to use industrial diggers more usually seen on building sites in order to clear the blocked route, with snow sitting as high as hedgerows in some places. A man left stranded in his car for nine hours on the road had to be rescued by the Community Rescue Service. In addition to loss of livestock, local roads were left in a pitiable state after the unusually harsh conditions.

To help ensure the safety of road users and contractors, the Carnalbanagh Road will be closed while work is underway. Road closure and diversion signs will be clearly displayed prior to and during the scheme.

The Roads Service says that it has carefully planned works operations and traffic management arrangements to keep any inconvenience to a minimum.

However, drivers should expect some delays and are advised to leave additional time when travelling in the area.

They added that the schedule is dependent on favourable weather conditions.Roads Service will publicise any changes and details will also be available at: http://www.TrafficwatchNI.com.