Motorists are being warned of potential delays and being urged to take extra care as roads staff are set to strike this week.
Members of the GMB and Unite unions will begin industrial action on Monday, February 27, in a dispute over pay.
The Department for Infrastructure issued a statement on Sunday to warn drivers that there will be a reduced level of the essential services which are routinely delivered by DfI staff on the road network.
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The services affected include, winter services, incident response and defect repair.
It is understood the long range weather forecast will be monitored and should a frost occur, there will be an update on gritting the roads.
A spokesperson said DfI urged road users to be "extra careful and to be prepared for potential delays in the event of unforeseen incidents ahead of planned industrial action".
"As a result, there will be a reduced level of the essential services which are routinely delivered by DfI staff on the road network," the statement read.
"This will affect many of the road maintenance functions that, as road users, we largely take for granted including:
- Delivery of our winter service, which includes gritting the road network
- Response and clear-up operation when there are incidents on the road such as oil spills or unexpected debris
- Repair of serious defects such as manhole collapse or potholes
- Gully clearing and cleansing
"While contingency arrangements are being put in place, this will not replace the full maintenance service and we would therefore ask all road users to be mindful of this and exercise care when making their journeys.
"The Department continues to work with the Department of Finance and the unions involved to try and resolve the issues around pay."
They added that members of the public should continue to report defects on the road network via NI Direct.
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