1 June 2001
CAMPBELL OPENS NEW DUAL CARRIAGEWAY
Regional Development Minister, Gregory Campbell, today opened the final phase of the A26 Antrim to Ballymena dual carriageway project.
Built at a cost of £4.4m, the scheme extends approximately 3.5 kilometres from the Woodgreen Junction to Ballee Roundabout and carries over 21,000 vehicles each day.
The Minister said: "This final phase of the dual carriageway completes a modern high standard road between Belfast and Ballymena and ensures good access to Antrim Hospital from the North.
"The 11.5 km long Antrim to Ballymena dual carriageway link is an important part of Northern Ireland’s key strategic road network and has cost a little over £1 million per kilometre to construct."
Work on this final phase started on 3 May 2000 and has been completed on time and within budget. The completion of the contract now means there is a continuous motorway/dual carriageway from Belfast to Glarryford Crossroads, north of Ballymena.
Mr Campbell said: "I wish to thank the main contractors, White Mountain Quarries, and staff in Roads Service for their involvement during the construction.
I would like also to express appreciation to those people whose land was required for the road and my gratitude for the patience shown by road users during the construction of the road.
"Without their co-operation, and others like them, it would be impossible to provide the road infrastructure which is the lifeblood of this country. I hope that all can enjoy the benefits of the dual carriageway for many years to come."
NOTES TO EDITORS
The main contractors, White Mountain Quarries, are based in Belfast.
The contract was carried out in two phases:
- During phase 1, the contractor concentrated on the section between Woodgreen and Cromkill Crossroads (the turnoff for County Hall, Ballymena). Here two way traffic continued to use the existing road whilst the contractor built the new northbound carriageway on the west side of the existing road. Traffic was then diverted onto the new northbound carriageway whilst the existing road was reconstructed as the southbound carriageway.
- During phase 2, the contractor completed the dual carriageway from Cromkill Crossroads to Ballee Roundabout. Here, the proximity of housing to the existing road required alternate sections of the additional carriageway to be constructed on either side of the existing road. Southbound traffic continued through the roadworks whilst northbound traffic – up to 14,000 vehicles per day – was diverted along Cromkill Road, Ballee Road West and Ballee Road Link. Earlier contracts, carried out by others, had prepared this route to carry the diverted traffic so disruption and delay was kept to a minimum.
Previously completed stages of the road were:
- Stage 1: Dunsilly (M22 Junction 1) to Tavanaghmore – 4.5km opened in 1989 at a cost of £3.1m; and
- Stage 2: Tavanaghmore to Woodgreen – 3.0km opened in 1999 at a cost of £2.5m.
Work on Stage 3 involved laying 16km of kerbs, moving 350,000 tons of earth and laying 47,000 tons of bituminous material.