Road safety study for Annsborough

Road safety study for Annsborough

20 August 2014

A ROAD safety survey is to be carried out in Annsborough after a child was knocked down earlier this year.

A review of road signs and a traffic counter survey will take place and the police are planning to deploy speed cameras to monitor traffic in the village.

The survey will take place after a 10 year-old girl was knocked down and seriously injured opposite Annsborough Post Office. The incident, during which young Caitlin McKibbin was injured, sparked a campaign by her grandfather for better road safety in the area.

Residents met with Roads Service traffic management officials and the PSNI on Wednesday to press them to introduce traffic calming measures on the road.

Councillor Patrick Clarke, who also attended the meeting, said the meeting was positive and centred on speeding on the Ballylough Road.

“A number of traffic issues were discussed with speeding drivers in their vehicles along the Ballylough Road ignoring the 30mph speed limit signs being one of the main areas of concern and the recent road traffic accident involving a ten year old child being recently seriously injured,” he said.

“Roads Service and the PSNI have agreed to carry out a number of actions including a review of the current road signage along the Ballylough Road as well as carrying out a traffic counter survey later in the year and deploying speed cameras to monitor traffic speed.

“It was clear from the meeting that residents in Annsborough want a traffic calming scheme along the Ballylough Road which will slow traffic down entering and leaving Annsborough village which is a built up residential area.”

Mr. Clarke said there is clearly a need to carry out an assessment on this busy road and he pressed the Roads Service to carry it out “as a matter of urgency.”

“The recent meeting gave local residents living along this stretch of the Ballylough Road the opportunity to raise their concerns in order that some short and medium term solutions can be found to address the speeding traffic and also traffic calming measures being installed in due course.”

Following the meeting Roads Service officials, the PSNI and councillor Clarke travelled up to the Clarkhill Road and also agreed to examine similar short to medium term solutions to address the speeding traffic and traffic calming issues on the road.