Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Whiteabbey residents call for action to ensure safety of Glenville Road junction

Residents in a Co Antrim village are calling for action to ensure the safety of a road junction.

A number of crashes have occurred at the junction of the Glenville Road and Shore Road in Whiteabbey over the years.

Those turning right on to the Shore Road have to cross four lanes of busy traffic and can be found waiting long periods of time to turn during rush hours.

Read more: Local businesses behind "wee family" community in Whiteabbey village

Last week, after another crash at the junction, two local men were spurred on to take their own action.

Pierse Mulvenna and his uncle, John McMenamin, printed signs which read "no right turn" and placed them at the bottom of the Glenville Road. These signs were later removed by the Department for Infrastructure.

Although recognising a ban on turning in this direction may not be a feasible option in the long run, they're calling for something to be done to ensure the junction's safety before it's too late.

Glenville Road, Shore Road junction. (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"Our ambulances and beautiful emergency services have got enough to do," John told Belfast Live at the site.

"I understand it's inconvenient for people if they aren't able to turn right, but they should maybe just leave the house a bit earlier. The thought of a child being caught up in this is just awful. Action needs to be taken before something serious happens, that's why we've done this."

Pierse added: "We know turning left isn't going to be a very feasible option in the long run as it'll cause a build-up in the village, but there has to be some sort of way around this.

"It feels like they're just waiting on somebody dying before they take action. It's inevitable at this stage."

In January of this year, the Department of Infrastructure carried out a site visit at the junction after local councillor Taylor McGrann and MLA Gerry Kelly wrote to them about a need for action at the site.

At the time, the Department said they would "fully assess" what measures could be taken to ensure safety at the junction.

When asked for a follow-up on this progress by Belfast Live, a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said: "The Shore Road/Glenville Road junction is currently undergoing a safety review.

"A consultant has been appointed to carry out a number of surveys and to provide options for the Department’s consideration. The Department has also provided a yellow hatched box in order to assist motorists exiting Glenville Road and turning right onto the A2 Shore Road.”

READ NEXT:

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.