City centre road improvements underway in Belfast

Date: 28/8/2012

Major improvements are currently being undertaken of the road infrastructure in the centre of Belfast.

Drivers are being warned to allow extra time to navigate through the city as some areas are facing diversions.

Oxford Street and East Bridge Street now have their bus lanes in operation, but measures to extend bus priority in May Street, Donegall Square South and Howard Street will be put in place in September.

At the same time the roads in these streets will also be resurfaced, which will start on Sunday and last for approximately two weeks.

Despite the warning the Roads Service has said that it will try to carry out as much of the work at non-peak times in order to reduce the disruption to traffic.

Electronic signage is to be put in place for the duration of the works to advise vehicles on specific routes and potential delays.

The Roads Service has said that 60 per cent of the traffic using the roads around City Hall is simply travelling through the centre and not heading to a destination in the vicinity.

This traffic should therefore find an alternative route which does not take it into the city centre while the works are ongoing.

Alternative routes including the M3, Westlink and the Outer Ring Road (A55) are viable options to achieve this.

Once the work has been completed the new bus lanes will allow public transport, cyclists, motorcyclists and permitted taxis to use them between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

Motorists are advised to drive slowly and carefully while they become accustomed to the new traffic measures.

A statement from the Department of Regional Development pointed out that now is the time that children are starting to go back to school.

It said: "As we enjoy the last few weeks of summer, road users are reminded that, traditionally, traffic levels increase in the autumn."

Posted by Mary Treen

Transport News and Transport Consulting News