Maydown up in arms over road plan

Under the current plans for the Londonderry to Dungiven A6 dual carriageway there will be dramatic changes to the road network between the Caw and Maydown roundabouts.

Roads Service has advised that the Gransha roundabout will disappear and the dual carriageway ends of Gransha Park (East), Judges Road, Temple Road and Tirkeeran Park will be closed up and motorists will no longer be able to leave the carriageway at these junctions.

Equally, all private access to and from the new road will be closed up, all central reservation crossovers will be closed up and Ardlough

Road will have left in/left out access only.

But Maydown Community Association says that everyone from farmers, anglers, business people and residents are up in arms over the changes.

The association says it is concerned local people are in danger of losing their homes and land by compulsory purchase; that roads and lands that have been the right of way for generations will become inaccessible; and that business people and residents will be disrupted.

The group is also worried residents of Henderson Park will have their road opened at the dual carriage way end and that cars and transport to and from Temple Road, Tirkeeran Park and Clooney Road will access the Maydown Roundabout through the area.

"Temple Road being completely closed which means all traffic of all kinds from Temple Road, Westlake, Butlers Wharf, Strathfoyle, Meat Plant, Coolkeeragh Power Station, Lisahally Docks, Carrakeel Industrial Estate, Brickkiln, Dupont, Invista and all farming and other services as well as school and Translink buses will all converge on Maydown Roundabout both going and coming," a statement from the group reads.

"Because of the upgrading of the dual carriageway all bus stops along the route will be removed and the only one for Maydown will be across four lanes of heavy traffic at the Eakin's side of Maydown Road," it states.

"Also at the end of Maydown road access to the four lanes of traffic will be difficult due to the amount of traffic coming and going from Strathfoyle. With this we would like traffic lights plus a public crossing for children," it adds.

The group says it wants greater communication from Roads Service. It also wants the safety concerns of residents of Henderson Park to be addressed.

And the group also suggests that Temple road be kept open for traffic entering from the left only. The association believes this would alleviate a lot of problems.

The statement goes on: "Maydown currently hasn't an official crossing on the existing carriageway even though we do have an opening on the central reservation to allow all age groups cross for buses, shop etc.

"We would like to see a permanent crossing here and we would also like to see the traffic speed reduced to 50 - which we have been asking for years - to the Maydown Roundabout as this is an accident waiting to happen."

The association also wants to see traffic lights and crossings installed at the exit from Maydown on to Maydown Road to facilitate the safe crossing of all age groups particularly the large number of school kids.

It thanked local DUP Aldermen William Hay and Maurice Devenney for highlighting the road concerns and asked people to write to the Roads Service with their concerns.