1 November 2004
£1.3 MILLION IMPROVEMENT WORKS TO START AT NUTT'S CORNER ROUNDABOUT AND MOIRA ROAD
DRD Roads Service today announced a package of improvement works on the A26, between Moira and the Nutt's Corner area. Construction has just started on overtaking lanes at Nutt's Corner Roundabout, near Crumlin, and a climbing lane on the Moira Road, near Glenavy is due to start shortly.
The Nutt's Corner scheme consists of the construction of an overtaking lane on the Tully Road and the Moira Road. The exits to both roads, from the roundabout, will be widened to three lanes, to provide short lengths of overtaking opportunity, allowing faster accelerating traffic to overtake slower accelerating traffic, leaving the roundabout.
At the same time, the geometry of the Tully Road and Moira Road entrances to the roundabout will be improved to provide 50 metre lengths of a two-lane approach to the stop line.
Divisional Roads Manager, responsible for the Nutt's Corner Scheme, Andrew Murray said: "The overtaking lane on the Tully Road will provide 350 metres of overtaking opportunity for Antrim bound traffic and the overtaking lane on the Moira Road will provide 750 metres overtaking opportunity for Moira bound traffic."
Divisional Roads Manager, responsible for the Moira Road improvements, Joe Drew, said: "On the Moira Road, just south of Glenavy, Roads Service is providing overtaking opportunities, by constructing a 2+1 carriageway, that is, widening a stretch of single carriageway road to provide two lanes of traffic in one direction and one lane of traffic in the other.
"These schemes are part of a continuing Roads Service initiative to improve overtaking opportunities on the single carriageway sections of the Province's key transport corridors."
During construction, one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction both at Nutts Corner and on the Moira Road during peak periods. It may be necessary to use traffic signals or stop go boards at other times to regulate the speed and flow of traffic to ensure a safe working environment for workmen.
Work on the two schemes will be phased to minimise disruption to traffic on this busy route. Roads Service would ask drivers to take care when driving through the works and to obey the temporary 40mph speed limits.
The work at Nutt's Corner Roundabout, being carried out by John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd, started on 1 November 2004. It will be completed within 20 weeks, effective for 18 weeks, as the site is closed for two weeks over Christmas.
The work on the Moira Road, being carried out by F P McCann Ltd, will commence on, 8 November 2004 and will be completed within 17 weeks, effective for 15 weeks, as the site is closed for two weeks over Christmas.
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