A 20mph speed limit zone will be introduced in Belfast City Centre from 31 January 2016.
This will be the and most extensive of five pilot 20mph zones introduced in Northern Ireland without the use of physical speed reducing measures such as road humps.
The other 20mph speed limits introduced as part of this initiative are in Newtownabbey, Ballynahinch, Ballymena and Ballycastle.
A spokesperson for DRD said: “The introduction of these new speed limit zones are part of the Department’s commitment to the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy.
“We believe these schemes will improve safety for all users of Belfast city centre particularly pedestrians and cyclists without causing any undue inconvenience for car drivers.
“All the pilots will be closely monitored to evaluate their effectiveness and may be rolled out to similar areas in other parts of Northern Ireland.”
The 20mph speed limits will be signed clearly and in accordance with national standards. Additional black and yellow information signs and variable messaging signs will also be erected to highlight the change in speed limit.
A widespread consultation exercise, along with the necessary legislative process, had been completed prior to Christmas but the implementation of the 20mph speed limits in Belfast city centre was postponed until after Christmas to minimise disruption to Christmas shoppers.
