£98m roads maintenance fund allocated for Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
The Department has targeted approximately £12.5 million towards a Roads Recovery Fund to enable the delivery of high-priority resurfacing, roadside stability, and drainage projects, alongside a £10 million allocation for rural roads maintenance in 2026/27, which doubles last year's figure.
Members of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council received a roads maintenance and improvement update for 2025/26 and 2026/27 during a meeting on Monday 26 October from Divisional Roads Manager Cindy Noble.
For planning purposes, an opening indicative allocation for structural maintenance of approximately £98 million has been provided, which is about £30 million higher than the opening allocation from the previous year.
From this total, the Department has targeted approximately £12.5 million towards a Roads Recovery Fund to enable the delivery of high-priority resurfacing, roadside stability, and drainage projects, alongside a £10 million allocation for rural roads maintenance in 2026/27, which doubles last year's figure.
To help prioritise these initiatives, the Department is developing a Transport Strategy 2035 alongside Local Transport Plans to support economic growth, strengthen regional balance, enhance connectivity, and ensure a more integrated approach to transport and land use planning. Road safety also remains a high priority as the Department works to address the needs of all road users.
Reviewing past work, Ms Noble noted that key resurfacing projects were completed last year on Moy Road in Armagh, Charles Street and Dungannon Road in Portadown, and Dechomet Road in Katesbridge. Other completed improvements included dropped kerbs and tactile paving at Ballyoran Park in Portadown and Manor Drive in Lurgan, new pedestrian facilities and a puffin crossing on Dungannon Road in Portadown, upgraded puffin crossings at Francis Street and North Street in Lurgan, and various footway resurfacing schemes at locations such as The Square in Richhill, Main Street in Loughgall, and Bunker Hill and Ashlea Bend in Markethill.
Looking ahead to 2026/27, planned resurfacing schemes include Coolmillish Road in Markethill, Ballygowan Road in Banbridge, and Cottage Road in Lurgan, alongside further infrastructure improvements such as dropped kerbs and tactile paving at Drumlin Drive in Lurgan. Footway resurfacing is scheduled for Charlemont Gardens, Rose Park in Laurelvale, and Cusher Green in Mountnorris, while traffic management upgrades will feature a redesigned signalised junction at Church Street and Hanover Street in Portadown, as well as new puffin crossings on Scarva Road in Banbridge and Sloan Street in Lurgan.