Ulster Unionists

Building our
infrastructure network
As we approach Northern Ireland’s Centenary, we face major challenges with regard to our infrastructure. By
2050, much of our hard infrastructure will need replaced, renewed or upgraded. We must start making the right,
strategic decisions now. Without investment in infrastructure, we will not be able to maximise our advantages.
Roads, rail, airports, power stations and grids all have 30+ years life spans. However, many of these are already
reaching the ends of their safe lives.
We need to invest, province wide, in cost effective energy smart grids, latest generation information networks,
an integrated road/rail transport system, cycling networks, airlinks, affordable logistics systems, that support our
economy and, where it makes sense, fully integrating our communication systems across all these Islands. Action is
needed now so that we can plan for the future. With the right decisions made in a timely fashion, we can transform
our country.
Prioritising the York Street Interchange
The Ulster Unionist Party will prioritise the York Street
Interchange project. 100,000 vehicles use the York
Street Interchange each day and it has been labelled
as the single biggest blockage in Northern Ireland’s
transport system. Any future Minister needs to make
this their number one infrastructure priority coming
into the next Executive.
Tackling traffic bottlenecks
We would seek innovative solutions to alleviate other
traffic bottlenecks on the approach roads to Belfast,
such as that experienced daily at Sprucefield.
A sustainable roads maintenance budget
For too long this has been something of a Cinderella
aspect of the Departmental budget. We would agree
the multi-year road maintenance budget in the
departmental baseline, rather than unsustainably rely
on the monitoring round process.
Long haul travel
The loss of the only direct air-link to North America in
the form of United Airlines’ Newark flight, was a major
blow to both business and tourism. The amateurish
way in which the Executive sought to provide funding
to United Airlines and the unseemly public dispute
which ensued with the European Commission over
whether or not the plan was legally sound, did
Northern Ireland PLC no favours. We would work
to restore a direct air-link with North America and
other long haul destinations to promote business and
leisure opportunities.
A new agency for major public capital projects
Given the concerns relating to how the public sector
does business, in terms of tendering and procurement
processes, we will explore the creation of a new public
sector procurement and delivery agency for major
capital projects. This will restore confidence in the
process, streamline efficiency and improve delivery of
key projects.
Promoting Sustainable Travel
Given the obvious benefits to public health, and the
environment, we will promote more sustainable travel
and realise the vision set out in the 25-year bicycle
strategy. We will also support the development and
implementation of a network of traffic-free cycling
infrastructure. We will support active travel as a
consideration in planning new developments. We
will also ensure that Translink continues with its efforts
of increasing passenger journeys in order to further
reduce congestion.
Manifesto 2017 | The Ulster Unionist Party | 25