Kirkby in Ashfield based metal railings and gates manufacturer, Alpha Rail has supplied pedestrian guardrail for a £50m road widening scheme in Northern Ireland.

The widening project involved upgrading a 3.5km stretch of carriageway on the A2 Shore Road between Jordanstown Road and Seapark to dual carriageway standard.  Improvements also included four new roundabouts at Shore Avenue, Shorelands, Station Road Greenisland and Seapark junction.

Phil Ball, Alpha Rail Sales Director, Phil Ball said, “Over a three-month period, Alpha Rail has supplied large quantities of various types of pedestrian guardrail to Maghera Fencing, who were appointed to manufacture and erect other security and industrial fencing systems on the project. The pedestrian guardrail was installed along kerbways to guide people on foot and cyclists to safe crossing points.”

Commenting, Finbar McGilligan from Maghera Fencing said, said, “The work required to successfully deliver this major scheme had a significant impact on the local community so it was important that everyone involved in the project finished on time and within budget. The best thing about dealing with Alpha Rail was that they gave a date for delivery and stuck to it and this helped us to meet our project deadlines accordingly.”

The A2 Shore Road is a vital link in the strategic road network between Belfast and Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, carrying on average around 35,000 vehicles each day.

GRAHAM Construction commenced works on the scheme in March 2013 and the new dual carriageway became fully operational in December 2015, when it was officially opened by The Northern Ireland Transport Minister, Michelle McIlveen.