Hillsborough residents to protest againstvillage traffic

Lagan Valley MLA Brenda Hale said residents had been ‘tortured’ by heavy traffic over the past three years and were planning the protest to highlight the problem.

Mrs Hale says she has met with Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy to try and resolve the issue and hopes that a planned new link road from the M1 to the A1 will provide a permanent answer.

“I have been working with the residents of Hillsborough and a local haulage firm, for many months now in order to come to agreement to reduce the volume of vehicles travelling through the village, day and night,” she said.

“Hillsborough is a small village with one main road through it. Anyone can understand the problem with the noise these vehicles make when making their way through the village, especially at night.

“I have held a series of meetings with the haulage firm who have, I must say, been very cooperative and attended meetings with residents and with the Minister Danny Kennedy.

“It is clear that everyone wants this issue resolved and I have been pressing that point with Mr Kennedy who has been very sympathetic to the situation. Everyone is in agreement on this issue.

Mrs Hale said the planned link road would resolve the issue and the Minister was working to find the money to pay for it.

“This is an issue I have been passionate about and I do hope that we will see the situation resolved sooner rather than later. Residents’ are very frustrated and I can only sympathise with them as a resident of Hillsborough myself.” she said.

A spokesperson for the DRD said there is a proposal to provide a high standard link between the A1 and the M1 Motorway in the vicinity of Sprucefield.

“It is intended that this proposal will include grade separation (a fly over) of the roundabout junction on the A1 at Hillsborough,” she said.

“The scheme is included in the Roads Service 10 year Forward Planning Schedule. The Investment Delivery plan for Roads estimates the delivery date for this scheme between 2014 and 2018 subject to the availability of funding.

“Several route options remain under consideration and the cost of the scheme will depend on the option chosen. This is in a very broad range of between £85m and £105m.”