The A2 Shore Road Greenisland contract is a design and build project to upgrade a 2.4km bottleneck on the A2 between Belfast and Carrickfergus from single carriageway to dual two-lane carriageway.
Work is expected to start next month and take two years to complete.
The project has been the subject of local wrangling and controversy for many years and went through a public inquiry in 2007. Total project cost is now estimated at £57m, up from an original £21.1m estimate in 2004.
The majority of the route between Belfast and Carrickfergus has two lanes in each direction, either in the form of the M5 motorway, a dual carriageway or as a four-lane single carriageway. However, the 2.4km section at Greenisland has only two lanes, causing significant congestion and delays at peak times.
Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said: “I am pleased to be able to confirm my department’s position following the public inquiry. I am well aware of the strong support for this scheme, given the significant improvement it will bring to regular users of this route and the economic benefits for Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey.
"I am also mindful that the scheme will affect a significant number of people, however I believe that it strikes the right balance between the benefits to the wider public and effects on landowners. The proposal has been thoroughly evaluated and I am satisfied that it provides the best overall solution to this longstanding problem.”
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