A24 road (Northern Ireland)
54°35′43″N 5°55′26″W / 54.5952°N 5.9238°W
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The A24 is a major road in Northern Ireland running from Belfast to Clough near Newcastle, passing through Carryduff and Ballynahinch. In Belfast, the route forms the Ormeau Road. At Clough it meets the A2.[1]
The section of the A24 from Forestside Shopping Centre to Carryduff roundabout was named by European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) as one of the six potential priorities for route action in Northern Ireland in 2005. This part of the road is a four-lane undivided carriageway.[2]
Plans and developments
[edit]Ballynahinch bypass
[edit]There are plans to build a by-pass of the A24 around Ballynahinch, which is currently a bottleneck for strategic traffic resulting in traffic congestion.[3] This is exacerbated during Easter and Summer holidays with large volumes of traffic travelling to/from Newcastle and the wider Mournes area.[3] The Department for Infrastructure has announced its intention to proceed with the scheme, with the start of construction subject to the funding of £35-45m being made available.[4]
The planned bypass will be around 3.1 kilometers long. It will start at a new roundabout at the intersection of Belfast Road and Saintfield Road, and end at a new roundabout at the intersection of Downpatrick Road and Drumaness Road.[5] In March 2025, Minister for Infrastructure Liz Kimmins announced that work on the project would begin in 2028 or 2029.[6]
Saintfield Road improvement
[edit]In March 2024, a road resurfacing scheme began on Saintfield Road in Belfast, which is part of the A24.[7]
Ballynahich Road improvement
[edit]In February 2024, a road resurfacing scheme began on Ballynahinch Road in Carryduff, which is part of the A24.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "A24 (Northern Ireland)". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ "EuroRAP 2005: Ireland Results" (PDF). EuroRAP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Departmental Statement on the Public Enquiry into the Proposed A24 Ballynahinch Bypass" (PDF). www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk. Department for Infrastructure – TransportNI. November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "Bid to begin work at Ballynahinch bypass". The Down Recorder. 5 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025.
- ^ "A24 Ballynahinch Bypass - overview". Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland). Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ Preston, Allan (12 March 2025). "Ballynahinch: Progress for long-awaited bypass scheme welcomed". The Irish News. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ "O'Dowd announces £453,000 improvement scheme for A24 Saintfield Road, Belfast". Northern Ireland Executive. 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ "O'Dowd announces £487,000 road improvement scheme for A24 Ballynahinch Road, Carryduff". Northern Ireland Executive. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
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