MP seeks to address traffic safety concerns

East Antrim DUP MP Sammy Wilson has expressed his disappointment at the refusal by the Department for Infrastructure to consider introducing traffic signals for cars emerging from the Glenville Road onto the Shore Road at Newtownabbey.
The Glenville Road/Shore Road junction . Pic by Google.The Glenville Road/Shore Road junction . Pic by Google.
The Glenville Road/Shore Road junction . Pic by Google.

Mr Wilson said that with every new housing development that was permitted along the Glenville Road, the traffic problem at this junction became greater every year.

He said: “At present there are long queues of traffic seeking to emerge onto the Shore Road and where there are a number of cars who wish to turn towards Belfast, the delays can be extremely long.

“A large number of constituents have raised the issue of not just the delays at this junction, but the dangers that are presented by the fact that drivers have to run the gauntlet of two lanes of traffic coming in one direction and two lanes of traffic going in the Belfast direction when seeking to turn out onto the Shore Road.

“The obvious answer is to introduce traffic signals at this junction, even if they were only introduced on a part time basis at peak hours.”

Mr Wilson added: “Transport NI have rejected this solution on the basis that they cannot provide two lanes at the end of Glenville Road to allow traffic to turn both left and right.

“Secondly they have argued because there are signals at Whiteabbey Village, another set of traffic lights would cause further delay and thirdly, traffic signals at this point may encourage people to use Glenville Road as a rat run to avoid some of the delays on the Monkstown Road, increasing the danger for pedestrians on the Glenville Road.

“Whilst there are difficulties envisaged with the proposal, nevertheless they are not insurmountable and are not as bad as the alternative, namely that the traffic problems at the end of the Glenville Road are allowed to intensify.”

A spokesperson for Mr Wilson said: “Sammy will continue to press the Department for Infrastructure to look at ways of addressing the issue given the dangers which this junction now presented to road users.

“He has urged constituents to report to him any accidents they were involved in since this would be a factor in influencing the department to look at how this junction might be managed better.”