Meeting with Roads Service officials on Monday evening, councillors welcomed confirmation that the widening of the Shore Road at Greenisland will go ahead, but expressed concern at the anticipated starting date of 2011.

The agency was also told it must press ahead with plans to limit disruption to traffic during construction

Cllr Mark Cosgrove commented: “This was approved unanimously by members of this council and, I think, by the commuters who use the route. To hear that we are talking about 2013 or 2014 for completion is gravely disappointing.

“This part of greater Belfast is a second class citizen with regards to road and rail infrastructure. Can we be given assurances that no other scheme of similar value will be implemented before ours, which was third in line after Toome and the Westlink?”

Cllr Stewart Dickson said he is disappointed with the lack of detail given in response to “comprehensive and repeated” requests for details of traffic management plans for the construction period.

He suggested possible solutions including the temporary acquisition of land for an expansion of park and ride provision at railway stations or cut-price rail tickets during peak periods.

Cllr Louise Marsden called for improvements to the B90 to ensure vehicles seeking to turn right at junctions and buses stopping to pick up passengers do not hold up other traffic, in anticipation of increased use of that route while work is carried out on the A2.

Delivering the agency’s autumn report to councillors, Roads Service deputy divisional manager Kevin Monaghan confirmed that the agency has published its intention to proceed and its direction order. A vesting order, allowing the acquisition of the land required, will be brought forward in 2009 and the job will go to tender in 2010.

“With a fair wind, construction will commence in 2011,” he added.

In response to members’ concerns, he said: “We are pushing this forward as vigorously as we can; the slow bit has been the statutory procedure, as a result of the objections we received.

“Schemes compete and are subject to availability of funding, but it is of the highest priority within the eastern division.”

Acknowledging the importance of measures to reduce congestion during construction, Mr Monaghan stressed that temporary acquisition of land is unlikely to be an option. However, he said efforts would be made to “encourage” park and ride, use of public transport and sharing of private cars.

He also promised that, as far as possible, construction will be carried out in a manner that allows one lane of traffic to remain open in each direction.

Section engineer Colin Campbell acknowledged the likely importance of the B90 as a relief road and assured members the traffic management working group for the A2 scheme, of which he is a member, is examining “a number of possible improvements”.