Traffic chaos at Balmoral Show

As tens of thousands of visitors attended the Balmoral Show last week, there were more calls for improvements to the road infrastructure at the Maze.
©Press Eye Ltd - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2015. Mandatory Credit - Photo by Andrew Paton/Presseye.com. Balmoral Show - The Car Park©Press Eye Ltd - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2015. Mandatory Credit - Photo by Andrew Paton/Presseye.com. Balmoral Show - The Car Park
©Press Eye Ltd - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2015. Mandatory Credit - Photo by Andrew Paton/Presseye.com. Balmoral Show - The Car Park

Visitors were encouraged to use public transport, with a shuttle bus laid on to bring people to the show grounds but many used other means of transport which put further pressure on the roads.

The First Minister Peter Robinson has blamed Sinn Fein for blocking plans for a new access road to the Maze site and said everyone should be able to get into and out of the site as quickly as possible,

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There is a current proposal backed by the First Minister which will create a new motorway junction for the Maze site.

However Mr Robinson said that he was very keen to see improvements around the area.

On the first day there were long queues and tempers were frayed further at the car park as some irate drivers were left waiting for more than two-and-a-half hours trying to get out.

Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson too said that it was critical that a new road was developed to make the show more accessible.

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“I do hope that an agreement can be made to allow the project to go ahead,” said Mr Donaldson.

“The future development of the site and the Balmoral Show depends on it.

“The new junction at the M1 is critical.”

He said that he will be meeting with the DRD Minister Danny Kennedy regarding the matter.

The new Balmoral Park hosted its first show in 2013, when £20m was pledged to construct two major roads linking the new show site to the nearby motorway network.