Upgrade for town’s busiest road junction

Upgrade for town’s busiest road junction

24 May 2017

ROADS officials hope to press ahead with plans to upgrade the notoriously busy Collins’ Corner junction in Downpatrick where five roads converge.

During a special briefing with local politicians on Monday night, Transport NI representatives said work was due to start during the last financial year but had to be aborted after ground condition surveys revealed the design of the scheme would have to be altered after issues arose with land at the former Downe Hospital site.

The Killough Road merges with Pound Lane, Stream Street, Irish Street and St Patrick’s Avenue at the busy junction with politicians told at Monday’s meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council that design work to overcome land requirement and topography issues is continuing.

Roads officials are proposing to upgrade traffic signals at the Collins’ Corner junction, provide a new footpath along the Killough Road and a new left turn at the bottom of Pound Lane.

In addition, the scheme includes what roads officials have described as the “re-management” of traffic at Lower Street Street where a GP surgery and Owenbeg Bowling Club are located, suggesting a new one-way system at this part of the town is being considered.

Transport NI said the upgrade of the busy junction will be subject to the availability of funding and land acquisition, while any plans to introduce a one-way system at Lower Stream Street will be subject to legislation and extensive consultation before any measures are brought forward.

Downpatrick councillor, Dermot Curran, said he hopes work on the proposed upgrade of Collins’ Corner can start before the end of the current financial year.

“This particular junction carries a huge volume of traffic and it has been in need of an upgrade for some considerable time,” he said. 

“I hope the various issues which roads officials have flagged up can be successfully overcome and that the busy junction will be upgraded to not only make it safer for drivers and pedestrians, but hopefully help address congestion at this part of the town.”

Councillor Curran also welcomed confirmation that before any plans are formalised to introduce a one-way system at Lower Stream Street, there will be extensive consultation with residents and business owners.

He added: “Plans to upgrade Collins’ Corner were first outlined many years ago and while I appreciate a number of issues have arisen which are outside Transport NI’s control, I hope they can be overcome and there will be no major delays.”