Road works cause traffic nightmare
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Single line traffic at front of Town Hall. SE4605
AS WORK begins on Ballyclare town square's roads there have been calls for drivers to be patient as traffic is disrupted.
Work began last week on the towns square, with footpaths around the central car park the first to be moved. Give way points have been installed at the top and bottom entrances of the town to keep traffic moving safely.
However traffic came to stand still on Friday evening with the restricted road layout struggling to compete with the typical rush hour traffic. Some commuters where stuck in the ASDA carpark for up to 40 minutes as traffic began to move around the town.
Speaking to the Gazette Alderman Paul Girven said his office has been inundated with calls complaining about the traffic disruption, he said " We have received a lot of complaints about the narrowing of lanes in the town, one man told me how it took him 40 minutes to get out of ASDA carpark. Friday night was a result of roadworks in different areas of the town taking place at the same time. Work on the roads has resulted in lanes being narrowed and this meant that traffic moving through the town was very slow.
“The contract should probably have been for the work to be carried out at night, avoiding rush hour traffic and causing minimum disruption.
It is important that we speak with the department to see if any improvements can be made to the flexibility of the hours when the work is carried out. We need a resolution where the work has less of an impact on the normal day of Ballyclare's residents."
The environmental improvement scheme which is jointly funded by the Department for Social Development, the Department for Regional Development and Newtownabbey Borough Council, includes replacing the existing footway and kerbing with granite paving and granite kerbs, new street lighting and improved pedestrian facilities.
A spokesperson for the DRD told the Gazette completion of the scheme is programmed for Spring 2009 as it will be constructed in two stages with a break during December 2008.
In the mean time Dr. McCrea and Alderman Girvan have appealed for for drivers to be patient while work is being carried out, he added "This work will improve the look of the Square, however for the meantime traffic will be disrupted and I am calling for drivers to be patient until the situation is resolved."
More pictures of the Square's makeover on page 2.
