Debate contribution: Road Infrastructure: Ballykelly and Kilrea

Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on 27 January 2026.

MLA

Ms Cara Hunter

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

27 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Road Infrastructure: Ballykelly and Kilrea

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5345598

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the fact that the Infrastructure Minister has given her time to us, the representatives of East Derry, and other Members, representing North Antrim, East Belfast and other constituencies, to discuss traffic delays in our constituency and the wider area. Minister, today is not an opportunity for Members to berate or belittle you; it is more about sharing some lived experiences of my constituents, who are overwhelmed by and, frankly, quite angry about the delays that they experience, particularly this week as road resurfacing work really kicked in. It has been really profound. Certainly, we have heard a number of stories in the media from people who are really fed up. Today is an opportunity for me, as an SDLP MLA, to raise the matter in the House. I want to talk about something that may sound small on paper but that truly has a massive impact on everyday life for people right across my constituency: the roadworks between Ballykelly and Greysteel, which feel never-ending. I do not know whether I should declare an interest; I use that road almost every day. I am one of the commuters who are really annoyed at the circumstances. I have been late to a number of meetings in the past week, which has been painfully embarrassing and annoying. I have to put that on the record. We talk a lot in this place about infrastructure, active travel and long-term planning. Of course, we know that all that matters. However, I feel strongly that what matters just as much is my constituents getting to work on time, picking their kids up, getting to a hospital appointment or simply the chemist without it turning into a military operation or them having to guess how long it will take. Right now, for thousands of people across my constituency, whether they are constituents or commuters, that is not happening. For over two years, those roadworks have dragged on. It has been years of unpredictable delays, completion dates rolling on and people leaving early — just in case — only to still end up being late. It is all completely beyond my constituents' control. I will share some testimonies. I spoke with a number of constituents ahead of the debate, and I want to raise on the Floor their annoyance and how they feel. One woman from Greysteel contacted me, saying that she was unwell and needed an urgent prescription from Boots in Ballykelly, involving a journey of about five miles. Her options were to sit in traffic for up to an hour or drive 14 miles each way through narrow, muddy country roads to avoid the traffic, while sick, with everybody else sadly doing the same thing. Even the back roads are clogged up, because people use them to avoid the traffic. That is really not a reasonable choice to ask people to make. Another constituent told me bluntly that the whole saga is "ludicrous". She is right. She lives in Eglinton and regularly visits her elderly parents in Limavady, or, at least, she used to. Daytime visits have basically stopped, because they are not manageable any more. It is important to note that, across the House, we all recognise the importance of active travel. It is very important, but many in that area feel that they would have liked a bit more engagement throughout the duration of the roadworks so that they could understand how long they would take and what they are for and to get some answers to ongoing questions. I will share another story from a mum of three in Limavady. Her children go to school and nursery in Eglinton, and she works in Derry. On some days, she gets through the lights in 10 minutes; on other days, she is stuck for 45 minutes, an hour or even longer. There is no pattern, no reliability and no way for my constituents to plan the basic aspects of their life. Her twins are three years old. One of them has had accidents while sitting in traffic, despite being potty-trained, due to the length of time that it has taken to get home. The other is being assessed for autism and finds the delays and disruption deeply distressing. When she is upset, her mother cannot comfort her, because she is at the wheel of the car, and they are stuck in traffic. That is the human cost of the project. It is important to raise that, but it does not stop there. People are now taking risks in the traffic. I have heard reports of drivers using the hard shoulder, running red lights and overtaking stationary traffic and of confrontations breaking out on the main road. It is a main road that runs through the heart of my constituency and is used by thousands of people every day. HGVs are being forced down narrow country roads that were never meant for them, so the issue is not just frustrating but dangerous. I must reiterate that it is not about being anti-active travel; today's conversation is about common sense and delivery. It is about taking a moment to reflect on what the Department for Infrastructure has learned from the project, given the significant delays. Could anything have been done differently? Minister, I ask you, first, to urgently review how the project is being managed, including the use of working-hours traffic controls and consideration being given to whether resurfacing can be done at different times, such as off peak or through the night. If not, why not? What we have learned? Secondly, we need to give people clear and honest timelines. For many of my constituents, that could be something as simple as a sign that says, "You may be stuck in traffic for 30 or 40 minutes". That would be such a simple and effective way of communicating that message, keeping things going and letting people know how long they will be sitting in traffic for. Thirdly, Minister, I will extend an invitation. I know that you have been to Greysteel, and it would be insincere of me to suggest otherwise, but you are more than welcome to come again. If you would like to do that, I will meet you and your officials during a peak time, so that you can see, at first-hand, the pressure that people are under when the road is busy and talk to parents, commuters and, of course, the business owners who, while they try to pay their bills, have been put under significant pressure, because of missing appointment after appointment due to the ongoing traffic problems. Stormont often gets criticised, fairly, for being slow and somewhat disconnected from its people, but today is an opportunity to show that we are listening and can respond. I will finish by talking about the important issue of the delays at the Kilrea Bridge. I have found communication with me, as an elected representative, to be very good. Some businesses in the area feel, however, that communication with them could be improved. Nothing is perfect, but it is about taking the opportunity to learn what could be done differently. People are stuck in traffic, because of the projects in Kilrea and Greysteel. They are being kept late, and they are stressed. They want communication from the Department. They are asking us, as elected representatives, to step up. Any clarity that you can provide on lessons learned would, therefore, be so helpful, Minister. I am grateful that you are here.

1,253 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:22 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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