Causeway Coast councillors claim 'pedestrian safety issue' due to overgrown weeds along Portrush-Bushmills coastal route
Causeway Coast and Glens councillors have warned the Roads Service that the coastal route between Portrush and Bushmills has become a danger to pedestrians due to overgrown weeds and vegetation.
During a DfI Roads presentation to Causeway Coast and Glens Council during the local government authority’s November meeting, DUP Alderman Sharon McKillop warned that the footpath at Dunluce Road had been narrowed by vegetation.
She said the issue was such that “visitors and locals alike” have to step out onto the road, causing a “pedestrian safety issue”.
Alliance Alderman Richard Brown Stewart said that despite the Dunluce Road being “one of our important tourist corridors”, attracting thousands of visitors every year, he questioned whether DfI was giving “sufficient priority” to key tourism routes along the coast.
Ald Brown Stewart added: “It’s often the first impression of our wonderful coastline [and] the footpaths are in a very poor state.
“The weeds are badly overgrown and the general appearance of sections of the route is very poor, so can you prioritise the maintenance and presentation along our internationally-recognised coastal route?” he asked the representative from DfI Roads.
DfI Roads’ Divisional Roads Manager, Alan Keys, said that work is prioritised by areas with the greatest need for maintenance, rather than how a particular area looks.
He concluded: “It’s really where the greatest need is, but I would point out that there is a project, that’s part of the Growth Deal, so maybe [there is] something better coming along in the future for that.”