Will Largy Road road be gritted?

So far the DRD have been reluctant to grit it despite over 1,600 vehicles using it every day.

A Crumlin councillor who says that there are numerous accidents on the road when the bad weather strikes has called their refusal to grit the road ‘simply ridiculous.’

Thomas Burns along with south Antrim MP William McCrea and representatives from local businesses Randox, Maxwell and Langford Lodge met this week at Antrim council offices with representatives of the DRD.

They argued that if the road is not gritted, that someone could be seriously injured or killed. A petition by a local woman has already been set up in an attempt to overturn the DRD’s decision.

She has been trying to collect up to 1,000 signatures and will present it to the DRD. She said her two daughters, who drive along the road daily, put their lives in their hands when they drive during the icy weather.

“The amount of traffic using the road daily stands at 1,600 per day, which more than meets the quota to have the road gritted,” said Mr Burns.

“The DRD, however, have said said that they are unwilling to change their policy because the road is a dead end.

“This is beyond ridiculous. It just seems to be that the DRD are just making excuses not to grit it. How can they make the decision when 1,600 vehicles use it on a daily basis?”

Mr Burns said that their next move will be to go to the DRD Minister Danny Kennedy.

“The road is just so dangerous in the icy weather,” he said. “There are not only residents but people who work at these companies and they should not have to drive in such a dangerous road that is repeatedly left untreated.

“Just this week a pensioner was driving when her car skid when a lorry was coming towards her. It was just through the love of god that it stopped in time or the pensioner could have been kille.

“Even this week school buses could not get up or down the road due to the bad weather. It was decided as the road was not gritted it was just too dangerous for the buses to travel on.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Regional Development said, “Roads Service met with local residents, business people and public representatives who raised concerns about the Largy Road not being gritted. Roads Service has agreed to consider these concerns when making its decision.”