Debate contribution: Storm Impact: A20 Portaferry Road

Debate contribution by Miss Michelle McIlveen on 3 February 2026.

MLA

Miss Michelle McIlveen

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

3 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Storm Impact: A20 Portaferry Road

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5363213

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank my constituency colleague for securing the Adjournment debate and the Minister for attending it. The fact that the Portaferry Road has now been the subject of two Adjournment debates since the restoration of the Assembly underlines the strategic importance of the route. As has been said, the A20 Portaferry Road is a vital lifeline for communities across the Ards peninsula and beyond. Local constituents and businesses are hugely concerned about the recurring damage to the road and the need for earlier notification about the road closures.

While there are alternatives along the peninsula, as Ms Armstrong said, they are often unsuitable for the traffic that is diverted on to them, with many requiring considerable resurfacing and drainage work to make them safe.

Storm Chandra last week and earlier events such as storm Bram brought heavy rain, tidal surges and severe winds that caused significant flooding and closures along the Portaferry Road. Entire sections of the carriageway were impassable. Residents and commuters were cut off by floodwater, debris and wave overtopping, and emergency services were left battling unpredictable conditions. We all saw images of vehicles stranded amid rising waters. As has been said, those events are not one-off occurrences but symptomatic of a shifting climate reality. The coastal alignment of the A20, hugging the shores of Strangford lough, makes it especially vulnerable to tidal surges, wave action and rising sea levels. That is one reason that, when I was Minister for Regional Development, I established the coastal forum with the then Minister of the Environment, Mark Durkan. As the Minister will know, I have kept a keen interest in the running of that group. I was disappointed to note the gap between its meetings. Coastal erosion is hugely significant for the entire Ards peninsula. I am acutely aware of the fact that the Department has had to repair road undermining and sea wall damage along that very route for some time. During my time as Minister, a structural survey was carried out at my behest, and works were subsequently undertaken. It is a matter of record that severe weather events have repeatedly led to sea defence repairs to the Portaferry Road section, but we cannot and should not treat the issue as one of maintenance alone. To give credit where it is due, I thank Stephen Gardiner, the local section engineer, and his team. They have worked tirelessly, looking to undertake local improvement works and trying to access the money to do them. Following the previous Adjournment debate, which focused on various issues along the road, those works will include carriage resurfacing schemes in the vicinity of Portaferry and along stretches of the A20 and adjacent access roads. Resurfacing can go only so far, however, when the road's very foundations are threatened by relentless coastal forces. That brings me to a key point: we must look at ring-fencing money for sea defences. Too often, coastal protection is the first thing to be squeezed in budget rounds, leaving front-line infrastructure vulnerable and the taxpayer ultimately paying for more reactive repairs than proactive protection. I ask the Minister for a number of things, the first of which is to establish a dedicated, ring-fenced sea defence budget in the Department for Infrastructure that is targeted at strategic coastal road protection so that the issues on vital routes such as the A20 can be addressed. As the Minister will know, I have raised the matter recently in questions for written answer. Thus far, I have been disappointed with her responses. Secondly, I ask the Minister to develop a long-term coastal resilience strategy for the Ards peninsula based on robust climate modelling that anticipates future tidal and storm risk instead of reacting after damage occurs. We need to be much more proactive, not reactive. Finally, I ask the Minister to work with communities, councils and engineers to identify where enhanced defences can be installed before the next major storm hits. Looking beyond sea defences, we must examine whether fundamentally different transport solutions might deliver resilience and economic benefit for our area. That is why I continue to raise the prospect of having a fixed crossing between Portaferry and Strangford. I know that the prospect of a bridge annoys Ms Armstrong, but we need to be bold and consider long-term infrastructure options. We should not ignore them simply because they are difficult; we should look at them because of their likely impact. I am conscious that I have run out of time, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Will you let me continue? Very good.

Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. A bridge would provide an alternative route off the peninsula that does not depend on a coast-hugging road that is vulnerable to storm surge. It would improve traffic flow for local residents, visitors and emergency services. There is little doubt that a bridge would boost tourism and local commerce by making lower Ards and the rest of the peninsula more accessible all year round.

Importantly, in the context of the debate, a bridge would take the pressure off the A20 when that road is closed or unsafe. It would also provide a safer route. As local representatives, we are aware that the A20 is a notorious accident black spot that, sadly, has claimed many lives. Such a project should be carried out in tandem with the maintenance of a resilient infrastructure that future-proofs our transport network. We need to be ambitious in our planning to deliver for our communities safe, reliable roads and transport links that are capable of withstanding whatever nature throws at them. Thank you very much for that.

940 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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