A8 Belfast to Larne Road - Link Road and Speed Reduction Measures
The B58 link road scheme at Ballynure will improve the A8/A57 junction and remove through traffic from the A57 Templepatrick Road to the B58 Carrickfergus Road. The link road will be approximately 0.9km in length with a roundabout replacing the A8/A57 junction and a staggered junction replacing the existing Carrickfergus / Straid Road junction. Environmental conditions in Ballynure will be further improved by the proposed speed reduction measures which should also help to address the problems experienced by traffic joining or crossing the A8 at the Riverside and Lismenary Road junctions.
The proposed speed reduction measures will be restricted to within the existing A8 carriageway through the village. They should provide a significant improvement to community life in Ballynure, particularly improving access onto and across the A8 on an east-west axis within the village.
This scheme is part of a major programme of improvement measures for this important route costing a total of £13.3 million and it will bring important benefits to both motorists and to the local economy. The programme includes provision of climbing lanes on either side of Ballynure (completed and officially opened on 2 December 2002), replacement of the priority junctions at Millbrook & Antiville in Larne with roundabouts (construction work ongoing) and the dualling of the existing A8 carriageway between the Doagh Road and Hillhead Road junctions with roundabouts replacing these existing junctions.
Work is scheduled to start in April 2004.
Some delay and disruption to the A8 and local traffic is likely, however, a traffic management strategy during the works will ensure that this is kept to a minimum.
