Roadworks are almost complete

The Department for Infrastructure has confirmed that resurfacing work at Main Street, Moira is almost complete.

The confirmation will come as welcome news to local residents and business owners, who have been putting up with traffic chaos in the area over the past number of weeks.

The department has been criticised by politicians, business owners and members of the public for permitting lane closures on the village’s Main Street at busy times of day.

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The lane closures have led to long tailbacks in the area, as far as Dollingstown and the M1 motorway on occasions.

The owner of a local haulage business even called for a meeting with political representatives for the area, warning that with traffic backing up onto the M1, it was “only a matter of time before we have another fatality”.

Several Lagan Valley politicians recently hit out at the department after the roadworks caused disruption to the village’s Remembrance Day events. And disgruntled drivers faced further “significant delays” on Sunday, November 27 as contractors moved in to finish off the resurfacing.

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure stressed that the lane closures were “necessary to ensure the safety of both the operatives and the public.”

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“The resurfacing works were substantially completed overnight Saturday into Sunday within the first two weeks. The final week of off-peak lane closures (9.30am - 4.30pm) through last week were necessary to replace and raise ironwork in preparation for the final surface which needed to be laid during daylight hours on Sunday.

“One partial lay-by remains to be surfaced due to a car parked in that area all weekend,” the spokesperson said.

Welcoming completion of the resurfacing work, Cllr Nicholas Trimble commented: “The road had been in such a state of disrepair that the resurfacing was badly needed. I had, however been contacted by residents who complained about the disruption caused. In response, I conveyed these concerns to TransportNI and am pleased that they took these concerns on board.”