Hale welcomes roads update

Mrs Hale was speaking after Mr Hazzard announced a £10m investment programme to improve the condition of rural roads.

She tabled a question to Mr Hazzard and was told there were countless surface dressing, and resurfacing schemes planned for the area as well as road improvement projects underway at the Hillhall Road and plans underway at Temple Crossroads and the Old Ballynahinch Road.

“I welcome this update from the DFI Minister,” Mrs Hale said. “I have been lobbying for some time in relation to a number of these scheduled road and footway works, particularly for the Moira, Culcavy, Carnreagh and rural Hillsborough areas.

“I will continue to lobby on behalf of my constituents in relation to the improvement of our local road network in Lagan Valley. I have also pressed the DFI Minister for our fair share of the £10m and I await a reply to my written question to the Minister, asking what share of this money will be allocated to the Lagan Valley area.”

Last month Mr Hazzard announced a £10million investment to improve the condition of rural roads.

The Minister earmarked additional funding announced by the Finance Minister earlier this month for resurfacing work on 1,000 rural roads across the north.

Mr Hazzard said: “I am delighted to announce that rural communities across the region will benefit from a £10m road improvement package to stop deterioration and repair severe defects on their local road network.

“The improvements will target 1,000 rural roads, repairing roads in poor condition, together with a number of longer resurfacing schemes.

“In this difficult financial period, it is of course necessary to prioritise resources.”