By Violet Brown
A MOTORIST is going to be killed if action is not taken to improve safety on a ‘very dangerous’ rural road near Ballywalter.
That’s the fear of landowners living between Ballywalter and Greyabbey after yet another accident which left a car burnt out and a wall partially demolished but, thankfully, no injuries.
The problem section is a sharp, 90 degree bend on the Greyabbey Road close to its junction with the Ballyatwood Road.
After the latest crash, which occurred late on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning, Lord Dunleath warned there was going to be ‘a fatal accident before too long’ if measures weren’t put in place to make motorists aware of the sharp bend.
The situation, Lord Dunleath continued, was very dangerous, adding a number of cars had gone through his neighbour’s wall over the past year.
A van had also crashed through the wall at his home of Ballywalter Park close to the gate lodge at the beginning of February necessitating the fire brigade to cut the driver out of the vehicle.
Lord Dunleath and Strangford MP Jim Shannon met with Roads Service officials about the matter last year.
“They said they would put in rumble strips and warning signs and while they have replaced some signs, no rumble strips have been put down,” Lord Dunleath said.
“I am very disappointed with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads Service,” he added. Mr Shannon also spoke of the ‘numerous accidents’ which had happened at this spot over the years.
“It is time for Roads Service along with the PSNI to take a long hard look at this road junction to look at what solutions there are”, Mr Shannon said. “It is a right angle corner and by its very nature drivers have to slow down to take it otherwise they are going to crash into the wall”. The MP concluded: “If drivers who don’t know that junction don’t slow way down they will come a cropper”.
The PSNI confirmed there were no reports of any injuries in the crash which happened at the weekend.
Because of the Easter holiday no-one from the Department for Infrastructure was available for comment.
