NI 'needs better airport access'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/5401186.stm

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Employers' representative body the CBI has urged the government to provide better road access to ports and airports in Northern Ireland.

Currently, an extra £600m is to be spent on the government's strategic road network before 2015.

A number of the planned road improvements have also been set out in a recent consultation document.

However, the CBI said more needed to be done to create the road infrastructure needed for businesses to improve.

CBI director in Northern Ireland, Nigel Smyth, said: "The extra £600m to be spent on the strategic road network in the period to 2015 as part of the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland is clearly welcome.

"But this investment is not enough to create the transport infrastructure that businesses need to move goods and provide the necessary labour mobility if Northern Ireland is to successfully compete in the 21st century.

"We just need to look at the massive investment in the road infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland and other European countries with which we are competing."

The CBI said investment priorities needed to take account of the impact of the introduction of road pricing/tolling, which it predicted was likely to be in place by 2015.

It recommended improving the A8 Larne-Belfast road, prioritising the 'Newry Southern Relief Road' and improving access to the Belfast International Airport at Templepatrick.