£18bn infrastructure plan for N Ireland

01 November 2007

Transport and infrastructure in Northern Ireland is to receive £18bn over the next 10 years to address underinvestment in the past.

Much of the cash will go towards buses, road maintenance and a proposed rapid-transit system for Belfast.

The announcement comes in the province’s draft investment strategy and was welcomed by regional development minister, Conor Murphy.

‘The draft allocations would allow us to extend the concessionary fare scheme during 2008 to introduce free travel on public transport for those aged 60 and over,’ he said.

‘Bus capital, which would amount to some £45M over the next three years, would allow for the continuation of the bus replacement programme and for further modernisation of the bus fleet.’

The draft allocation, the first for the Northern Ireland Executive, would also provide for the introduction of a rapid-transit system of either bus or tram across Belfast. ‘The department is exploring the best routes and technology, and looking at all options to identify the best scheme for Belfast,’ said Murphy.

‘Our roads network would benefit from some £572M of investment over the three years to 2011, and that would result in a significant increase in the size of the motorway/dual carriageway network, reduce journey times, and improve access to urban centres and regions in the north.’ The proposed allocations would increase funding for roads maintenance to around £200M, which the minister said would allow for increased maintenance expenditure across the network.

The Department for Regional Development also secured £646M of financing for water and drainage facilities over the next three years. The total amount to be spent on transport and infrastructure in the next three years by the executive is set to be 25% more than Whitehall spent in the last three.

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£18bn infrastructure plan for N Ireland

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