Minister Kennedy said: "My Department has invested over £135million in structural maintenance, improving the many miles of road infrastructure across Northern Ireland in the last financial year.
"In particular in the Ballymena Council area, despite ever increasing demands on budgets, DRD invested over £10.82million in delivering a comprehensive range of road schemes and maintenance work.
"DRD is using its available resources highly effectively and continues to deliver quality public services in the Ballymena Council area and across Northern Ireland."
The Minister also provided an update on the £65m A26 dualling between Glarryford and the A44 (Drones Road) Junction.
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He said: "Following my announcement to proceed and publication of the Statutory Orders in November 2013, my Department have been progressing with the procurement of the A26 dualling scheme. Following a successful tender award it is anticipated that construction could commence in the later part of this year.
"To enable the works to progress quickly following a successful tender award my Department has recently completed advanced site clearance works and the erection of a temporary fence along the site boundary.
"As well as these works, archaeological investigations are currently ongoing and will be completed later this month. To date a number of archaeological sites have been found. One of these sites is a manmade underground passage adjacent to the Killagan Road junction, which dates between approximately 600 and 1000AD."
Highlighting resurfacing schemes, the Minister added: "Road users in the Ballymena area have quickly realised the benefits of the investment by the Department with the completion of a number of significant lengths of carriageway resurfacing at a total cost of £3.59million, which included the M2 Ballymena Bypass, A26 Crankill Road at Teeshan, A36 Church Road, A43 Glenravel Road and B96 Dreen Road, Cullybackey."
While, previewing the work scheduled in the area over the next year, Mr Kennedy commented: "I am pleased to announce that work is scheduled to commence this financial year on the construction of a new roundabout at the junction of Ballee Road West with Cromkill Road at a cost of £250,000."
DRD has implemented a series of road safety measures at this busy junction to address a history of traffic collisions. This current proposal for a roundabout will help control vehicle movements, reduce vehicle speeds and enhance road safety.
(CD/JP)
