Westlink work 'six months ahead'

The Westlink is Northern Ireland's busiest road

The construction of the Broadway underpass at Belfast's Westlink is six months ahead of schedule, the Roads Minister has said.

Conor Murphy said progress was faster than anticipated. The bypass, scheduled for 2009, might be ready by summer.

On Tuesday, the new Grosvenor Road junction opened in time for the morning rush hour.

The completion date for the entire £104m M1/Westlink project could now be pushed forward to February next year.

Mr Murphy said completion of the Grosvenor Road junction was "yet another important milestone".

"The new slip roads constructed at this junction will greatly improve access to and from Belfast city centre and the Royal Hospital," he said.

"Over the coming months we will see further significant milestones achieved on the M1/Westlink project, with the completion of the Roden Street Footbridge and Stockman's Lane junction."

"I am pleased that work is progressing well at Broadway junction and, later this summer, traffic will be able to travel through the underpass for the first time, some six months ahead of schedule. This is great news for people using Broadway."

Slip roads will not be provided on the northern/M2 side of the Grosvenor Road junction. However, traffic travelling to and from the M2 will be able to join the Westlink at Divis Street junction.