The A26 is the principal route north from Antrim to Coleraine, passing Ballymena and Ballymoney on the way. It is very busy, particularly at peak times and in the summer when holidaymakers go to the north coast. If the original motorway plans of the 1960s had taken place, this traffic would all be carried by the M2. However, the M2 was never completed and so the A26 carries the burden. The dualling of the section from Antrim to Ballymena was completed between 1989 and 2001. The section north of Ballymena, which according to Roads Service carries 18,000 vehicles per day, has been dualled as far as Glarryford (about 7km). This scheme will see the next 7km dualled as far as the A44 Drones Road junction where all the traffic for Ballycastle diverts. The map below shows the section in question.

Google Earth screenshot showing the section of the A26 to be
upgraded via this scheme. Note that the label "B16" is incorrect.

The route of the scheme, announced in August 2008, is essentially an online upgrade of the existing road, drifting offline only to bypass the Frosses Trees and to cross a river near Clogh Mills. The road will have three "compact" grade separated junctions (ie flyovers) which are, from south to north at:

• B64 Springmount Road/Station Road (near Glarryford)
• C61 Lisnasoo Road (just north of the Frosses Trees)
• B93 Killagan Road / B94 Drumadoon Road (at Logan's Fashions)

Other than these locations, vehicles will NOT be permitted to turn right across the central reservation which will be entirely closed. There will be ten left-in/left-out T-junctions along the road to give access to properties and farms not accessible from the grade separated junctions. The upgrade will terminate at a new roundabout at the A26/A44 Drones Road junction which is currently a Y-junction for traffic heading to Ballycastle to diverge. The Frosses Trees will be preserved in the form of two laybys adjacent to the upgraded road. You can see a map of the proposed road in PDF format by clicking here. Please tell me if this link does not work, as Roads Service sometimes change links.

The purpose of the scheme is to reduce traffic congestion by increasing the road's capacity/overtaking opportunities, and improving safety by reducing conflicting movements and eliminating head-on overtaking. Although the scheme was originally not due to get underway until close to 2015 (during "the Regional Strategic Transport Plan period"), according to this Parliamentary Written Answer from November 2006, the scheme is now expected to begin earlier than this, in 2010. Arup were commissioned in April 2006 to develop the project.

The Frosses Trees

The famous "Frosses Trees" section of the A26 is near Clogh Mills where beautiful mature trees were been planted down each side in 1839 creating a tunnel effect (see photo below). The trees are arranged in two groups - the larger, southern, one known as the "Big Frosses" and the smaller, northern one, known as the "Wee Frosses". Many local children try to hold their breath as they travel the full length of the trees! Although a number of trees have been felled recently due to their age, the public would not tolerate any attempt to remove this feature. The design of the road has therefore been carefully selected to preserve this remarkable feature in the form of two lay-bys so that drivers can still visit them. See photos below for a picture of the Frosses Trees.

Other Routes Considered

Roads Service considered five route options before settling on the Blue Route.

1. The Orange Route involves largely widening 60% of the existing road with an offline route on the northern end to the west of the current road.
2. The Green Route is to widen 80% of the existing road with 20% of the northern end offline to the west.
3. The Blue Route is to widen the existing road in its entirity. This option was chosen.
4. The Red Route is an almost entirely new alignment to the east of the current road.
5. The Yellow Route is only entirely offline east of the current road at the south end and to the west at the north end.

PDF files containing maps of these options are available from Roads Service. Click here for a map of routes 1 and 2, and here for a map of routes 3, 4 and 5.

Updates

4 Jul 2011: The Minister has now said that the draft legal documents required to build the road will be published "later this year", and that a Public Inquiry will likely be held in Spring 2012. This is the first official indication that a Public Inquiry is expected within the next year, although it was mooted unofficially late last year (see previous update).

30 Dec 2010: In response to a written request for an update on this scheme, the Regional Development Minister gave an update on progress. He said that "it is planned to publish the Draft Orders early in 2011/12" (a milestone previously given as "mid 2011"). Construction is still far off, with the Minister saying only that subject to finance it "could" commence before 2018. I have been in indirect contact with a landowner affected by the scheme who tells me that he was contacted in mid November to say that the scheme is progessing as planned with the draft orders due to be processed by "late spring or early summer". He was told that while negotiations have gone well with most landowners, a few remain unhappy. A public inquiry was mooted for 2012.

2 May 2010: Roads Service have updated the costs on their web site, with the cost of the scheme being revised up from £52m to the range £50m-£70m. There is no change to the timescale.

22 Feb 2010: In a written answer in the Assembly, the Regional Development Minister has said that although this scheme is in the final stages of the assessment process, the next milestone (publication of legal documents) has been pushed back to "mid 2011", more than a year later than he stated in March 2009 (see below). Although this is a substantial delay, it will probably make no material difference to road users since construction has always been anticipated to be towards 2018 anyway.

18 Mar 2009: In a written answer in the Assembly, the Regional Development Minister has said the Enviromental Statement and draft orders (such as land aquisition) will be published during the 2009/10 financial year, ie by April 2010. He also confirmed that construction is not anticpated until the "latter part" of the investment period, ie in the 5-10 year timeframe.

2 Feb 2009: Roads Service released a leaflet about the scheme in November 2008. It summarises the scheme in its current form, including a map of the current design. It notes that "The ‘Preferred Route’ is now being developed which involves undertaking statutory procedures for environment,
planning and land acquisition and will lead to the publication of mandatory Draft Orders and an Environmental Statement. The ‘Investment Delivery Plan for Roads’ estimates that this scheme will be delivered within the period 2013 to 2018." It could thus be quite a few years before work commences.

11 Aug 2008: The preferred route has been announced - the entirely online Blue Route. The scheme also features three compact grade separated junctions which will lead to major safety improvements, and probably accounts for the fact that the price has risen from £33m in 2006 to £52m today. See above for more details.

24 Apr 2008: According to an Assembly written answer, the Department of Regional Development expects to announce the preferred route "around mid 2008". The process to decide between the five route options is still ongoing.

July 2006: The cost of £22.9m publicised in 2005 had increased to £33m by the time this public consultation was released in July 2006.

Photos

The beautiful "Frosses Trees" section of the A26 Frosses Road near Clogh Mills where trees are lined close along each side. Taken looking north in late August 2006. This stretch will be preserved as a lay-by. [Photo by Aubrey Dale]