Mr Robin Swann MLA, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Westminster candidate for North Antrim, has “warmly welcomed the actual beginning of a road scheme which will hopefully mark the beginning of the end of one of Northern Ireland’s most notorious accident blackspots”.
Assemblyman Swann, who is UUP Chief Whip and Chairman of the Stormont Employment and Learning Committee, was speaking as he joined Roads Minister and fellow UUP MLA Danny Kennedy at the official ground-breaking ceremony for the commencement of the continued dualling of the A26 between Ballymoney and Ballymena.
Mr Swann said: “It was an occasion of mixed emotions. As a party, we are we pleased to see the official start to this much-needed road improvement scheme, but it is also tinged with great sadness as we remember those killed and injured over the years at this notorious accident blackspot.
“While, as a community, we should warmly welcome the beginning of this project because it should make this stretch of the A26 safer for motorists, we should also remember in our thoughts and prayers the families who have lost loved ones or had loved ones injured as a result of incidents along this dangerous piece of road.
“We hope, too, when the project is finally completed that it will enable this stretch of the A26 to lose the terrible reputation of being one of the Province’s most notorious accident blackspots,” said Assemblyman Swan