Roadworks ‘to cost Glengormley business up to £80,000’

Area manager in charge of Glenabbey Service Station Rebecca Ingram says that she only learnt of the resurfacing works on the A6 Antrim Road, which she says will cost her business £10,000 a week, after seeing signs on the roadside.

The Department for Regional Development has announced that a £213,000 road improvements scheme on the route is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 11.

The resurfacing scheme will extend from Sandyknowes Roundabout to Jubilee Way.

During the preparatory stage of the work, a one-way road closure will operate on the Antrim Road in the Glengormley-bound direction from Sandyknowes Roundabout to Sandyholme Park. Glengormley-bound traffic will be diverted via Ballyhenry Road, Ballyclare Road and Jubilee Way.

Daily lane closures will also be necessary between Sandyholme Park and Jubilee Way, from 9.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday.

The preparatory stage of kerbing and footway resurfacing is expected to be complete by Friday, June 5.

The Antrim Road will also be closed to through traffic between Sandyknowes Roundabout and Jubilee Way each Sunday in June for carriageway resurfacing.

Rebecca says that the roadworks will have a devastating impact on the service station. She explained: “We are right in the middle of this and had no prior warning from the DRD. We rely on passing trade from motorway traffic as well as local traffic so we will have lower sales and there will be less work for staff.

“We will have to close completely on Sundays, which had been our busiest day.

“This will affect 10 to 15 part-timers and students.

“I have ordered stock for May and June which will have to be cancelled and we have asked Maxol to defer our rent for a month.”

Rebecca says she is “outraged” at the DRD’s failure to engage with local businesses regarding theroadworks.

“They didn’t give me time to deal with this, a week’s notice is not enough to change the business around,” she continued.

“I don’t understand why they can’t complete the scheme at night. We will lose around £80,000 with no compensation.

A DRD spokesperson said letters would be hand-delivered to Antrim Road premises this week.

He continued: “Resurfacing of Sandyknowes Roundabout last year was carried out overnight to minimise disruption at this critical junction. This was possible because it was remote from the residential area. It would not be acceptable to work at night on the Antrim Road between Sandyknowes and Glenglormley. Whilst sympathising with anyone inconvenienced by the road works, economic loss is not normally recoverable, provided that transportni have made reasonable access arrangements to businesses fronting the affected section of road.”