Vital junction to get signals upgrade

Major works planned for the busy Harryville Bridge junction will hopefully improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians.
Harryville Bridge. INBT32-226ACHarryville Bridge. INBT32-226AC
Harryville Bridge. INBT32-226AC

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has announced that work on a £105,000 scheme to upgrade the traffic signals at Harryville Bridge and Waveney Road in Ballymena will begin on 12 August .

The scheme is expected to be completed within five weeks and will include resurfacing of the carriageway over Harryville Bridge,

Mr. Kennedy said: “The upgrade of the traffic signals will help improve pedestrian safety and the traffic flow through the junction.

“Currently all traffic flows are halted when pedestrians wish to cross any of roads at the junction.

“The new layout will allow pedestrians to cross one road leading into the junction safely to the central island while traffic continues to flow on the other roads.

“Work on the scheme has been coordinated with resurfacing works to complement the junction upgrade.”

The work will be completed during off-peak periods in an effort to minimise disruption to road users.

The junction serves traffic flow on the Larne Road Link and North Road route that forms one of the main traffic arteries in Ballymena.

It is situated at one of the main approaches to the town and s, to help minimise any short term inconvenience to road users and local businesses the majority of this work is programmed to be completed during the night, although some lane restrictions will be necessary at off-peak times during the day.

Between 12 August and 13 September works on at the junction will start each evening after 7:00pm and a single lane of traffic will be maintained through the works where possible.

The planned dates are subject to favourable weather conditions and Roads Service will keep the public informed of any change.

While Roads Service has programmed the works operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience to the public, however motorists should expect some delays.

The site of the promised improvements is close to the scene of a tragedy which occurred last month when a cyslist died after a late evening colision with a bus.

At the time it was stated that the cyclist, who was from the Coleraine area, had been riding on the footpath but had encountered some form of obstruction which propelled him onto the carriageway, resulting in his death.