Urgent safety concerns need to be addressed at a roundabout in Derry following a serious crash, an MLA has said.
Mark Durkan, SDLP Foyle MLA, renewed calls for urgent improvement works at the Caw Roundabout as the Caw/Clooney junction is reported to have one of the highest collision rates in Northern Ireland.
It comes after a crash involving a bus and a lorry this week. Mr Durkan said he would raise concerns directly with the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Infrastructure, Julie Harrison at a meeting this week.
READ MORE: Funeral details announced for 'one in a million' woman killed in collision
The Foyle MLA said: “Despite prior reassurances from the department and some signs of progress, it has unfortunately been a case of two steps forward, three steps back.
“The Caw Roundabout has the highest incident rate of collisions across the North. That has been the case for almost eight consecutive years. We’re talking serious collisions causing significant damage and injury given the speed at which traffic travels along this route. The approval of 200 social housing units and an additional planning application for a further 600 homes, at the nearby Ballyoan development further underscores the urgent need for upgrade works of the road network.
“In the most recent response I received from the Permanent Secretary outlines that improvements won’t be made until contributions are agreed by the developers overseeing the site at Ballyoan.
“I appreciate there needs to be a cocktail of funding to progress these upgrades. Obviously there are huge budget pressures on public services at the moment and DfI are no exception. The consequences of those pressures are clear given the current state of our roads. However, the department has missed opportunities in this area in terms of road safety.
“There has been a recalcitrance and somewhat lethargy from DfI to address these concerns. We must remember that phase 2 of the A6,via Maydown extends from Drumahoe to the Caw Roundabout has still not been completed. Given that this project will end at Caw it proves the need for the department to frontload works along this route.
“I will be raising this with the Permanent Secretary and will ask them to establish whether there is a separate funding stream i.e. allocations from the now shelved A2 Buncrana works, where funding could be extracted from to progress improvements at Caw which is paramount for safety in the area.”
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: "The Department is in consultation with developers with a view to securing an agreed mechanism where we would work in partnership to upgrade Caw roundabout to create additional capacity and improve road safety.
"Under the currently proposed alterations to the junction, slip lanes would be introduced along with traffic signal controls. It is also intended to improve provision for pedestrians and cyclists to encourage active travel. The existing Gransha roundabout will be reconfigured to a signalised junction as part of the mitigation for traffic generated from the adjacent housing development.
"The timeframe for construction of the proposed improvements is dependent on our consultation with developers, the conditions of the planning permission for the adjacent site and future transport budgets."
READ NEXT:
Belfast parents' plea as baby diagnosed with 'ultimately fatal condition'
Paddy Kielty: The day I was told in school my dad had been murdered
Petrol bomb thrown through back window of Newtownards property
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
