Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced a £300,000 resurfacing and drainage upgrade for the A24 Ormeau Road in Belfast, commencing Monday 1 June 2026. The scheme marks the latest phase of maintenance on one of the city’s key arterial routes, eight years after previous works on an adjacent section.
Scheme Details and Timeline
The improvement scheme will extend along the Ormeau Road from the roundabout at Ravenhill Road to the junction with Annadale Avenue. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has scheduled the works to minimise disruption during peak traffic periods, though significant closures will be necessary to complete the carriageway resurfacing and drainage improvements.
- Investment: £300,000 for carriageway resurfacing and drainage works
- Location: A24 Ormeau Road, from Ravenhill Road roundabout to Annadale Avenue junction
- Start date: Monday 1 June 2026
- Overnight closures: 8 pm to 6 am on Monday 1, Tuesday 2, and Wednesday 3 June
- Sunday closures: 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday 7 June and Sunday 14 June (for final surface course works)
- Expected completion: Sunday 14 June 2026, subject to weather conditions
Traffic Management and Diversions
During the resurfacing works, the Ormeau Road will be subject to full road closures. Local access for residents and businesses will be maintained throughout and carefully managed by the Department, though road users should expect delays and allow additional time for journeys in the vicinity.
A signed diversion route will direct traffic via the A55 Upper Knockbreda Road, Castlereagh Road, Castlereagh Street, Albertbridge Road, and Ravenhill Road. Translink bus services will operate diversions during the works, with passenger information displayed on real-time screens and at relevant bus stops.
Minister’s Statement
“This £300,000 investment in the A24 Ormeau Road represents an important improvement to a key arterial route in Belfast. The works will deliver a safer and smoother road surface and address essential drainage issues, benefitting residents, businesses and all road users. I would like to thank the public for their patience while this necessary infrastructure work is completed.”
— Liz Kimmins, Infrastructure Minister
Broader Context and Strategic Approach
This announcement forms part of a wider push to address Northern Ireland’s road maintenance backlog. In December 2025, Minister Kimmins announced over £30 million in additional funding for road improvements, including £4 million specifically targeted at rural roads. That funding package followed the launch of a draft Road Maintenance Strategy consultation, which proposes a “transformative new approach” to how the Department manages its 26,000-kilometre network.
The Ormeau Road works follow a £176,000 resurfacing scheme completed in October 2018 on the adjacent section between Annadale Avenue and Drumkeen Manor. Recent official statistics show that while £466 million was spent on roads during 2024/25—a 1.8% increase on the previous year—91,715 surface defects were identified for repair, with 81,483 actually addressed during the same period.
The announcement also comes amid ongoing scrutiny of road infrastructure costs. The Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee recently warned that over 50,000 annual road openings by utility companies may be contributing to network deterioration, with the Department currently unable to determine whether taxpayers are subsidising associated reinstatement costs.
Questions for Consideration
- How will the drainage improvements specifically address surface water management and climate resilience on this section of the A24?
- Given that adjacent sections of Ormeau Road were resurfaced in 2018, what assessment has been made of the overall condition of the full A24 corridor to ensure strategic rather than piecemeal investment?
- What specific provisions are in place to support businesses along the Ormeau Road who may experience reduced footfall during the two-weekend closure periods?
- How does this £300,000 scheme align with the Department’s draft Road Maintenance Strategy, and will similar “transformative” approaches be visible in the execution of these works?
- With the Department acknowledging it requires £143 million annually to maintain the road network in reasonable condition but routinely receiving less, what prioritisation framework determines which urban arterial routes receive funding ahead of rural networks?
The Department has indicated it will keep the public informed of any programme changes via TrafficwatchNI. Road users are advised to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions and plan alternative routes during the closure periods, particularly on the weekends of 7 and 14 June when full daylight closures will be in effect.