East Belfast Alliance Assembly Member, Cllr Naomi Long, and Pottinger Alliance campaigner, Maíre Hendron, have said they are delighted that their request for a new pedestrian crossing on the Beersbridge Road is likely to get the go-ahead from Roads Service. In response to their request, Roads Service have written to the local Alliance team to say that their survey showed a demand for a crossing and that, whilst it will have to compete with other schemes, it should be well placed for inclusion in the programme for 2005-6.
Naomi Long said, “We wrote to Roads Service about providing a crossing on the Beersbridge Road between Bloomfield Drive and Abetta Parade, and are delioghted at the positive response we have receive to our request. Since the Post Office relocated from the corner of Bloomfield Avenue to the garage, people have had to walk to the Bloomfield Road junction to cross the road and then back to the garage, which is quite a diversion for older people in particular and many have been telling us that they are finding it difficult to get across the road.
Maíre Hendron said, “This is a very busy stretch of road, with commercial traffic from the shopping centre and Owen O’Cork Mill complex as well as regular heavy traffic. The crossing should be a big improvement for pedestrians, making access to the garage, post office, school and local church safer and more convenient.”
“This crossing will be competing with other requests to get into this year’s programme, and although Roads Service have described it as “well placed”, Alliance will be keeping up the pressure to get it constructed as soon as possible.”