Orginally it was planned to close the bridge on the 21 January but to accommodate local events, this has been delayed for one week. It is expected the bridge will be closed for up to a year.
Last night, at a public meeting at Edmund Rice College in the area, Roads Service Deputy Divisional Roads Manager Kevin Monaghan outlined a package of measures to accommodate the travelling public during the closure and explained the rationale behind the decision to close the Hightown Road to facilitate the bridge replacement. A detailed assessment showed that it would not be possible to provide a temporary bridge without the loss of residential property.
The meeting which was organised by local political representatives was a follow up to a series of meetings which include a a cross-party delegation to Department of Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy. Representatives from Translink and contractors HMC were also in attendance.
Mr Monaghan said: "The replacement of this bridge will secure the access to the Hightown area for this generation and the next. The construction of the bridge will take approximately a year and I acknowledge that there will be inconvenience to local residents during this period.”
A signed diversion route using Mallusk Road, Scullions Road, Sandyknowes Road and Antrim Road will be in place for the duration of the closure.
r Monaghan also outlined a package of measures to accommodate the travelling public during the closure. These included:
commitment to maintain pedestrian access across the bridge during reconstruction; Provision of a base for Ambulance Service Vehicles at Sandyknowes; Provision of traffic signals at Scullions Road/Saqndyknowes; Provision of traffic monitoring camera on Scullions Road; Provision of additional buses serving Hightown and Mayfield Areas; Provision of emergency breakdown vehicle recovery service on Sandyknowes Roundabout and Scullions Road; Ongoing management of traffic signal timings on the diversion route to minimise congestion and delays; and Ongoing liaison with Police, Ambulance and Fire Service regarding access arrangements to the Hightown and Mayfield Areas.
Notes to Editors:
- The existing Hightown bridge is 50 years old, has been assessed as being under strength and requires replacement.
- The work to replace this bridge is included in the Design, Build, Finance and Operate Contract to widen the M2 at this location.
