The point where the dual-carriageway portion of the A55 Outer Ring in Belfast meets and continues as the Milltown Road past Shaw's Bridge has always been an odd junction. It consists of a teardrop roundabout because only traffic coming from the north can emerge at that point. About 100 metres to the west is the northbound carriageway, which is a simple priority T-junction. In the other direction, the Milltown Road continues for a short distance to the east before hitting a roundabout with the Hospital Road (which becomes the busy Hillhall Road) and the Purdysburn Road.

This scheme will see both roundabouts ripped out and replaced by two traffic light junctions. It will also see the Hospital and Purdysburn Roads widened at the point where they join the lights to increase capacity. This should improve both safety and travel times at these busy junctions.

According to the Roads Service press release, the scheme has been "fast tracked" since the Hillhall Road is an alternative route into Belfast that avoids the M1/Westlink where major upgrade work began in January 2006. This scheme will help to prepare the Hillhall Road to be a more viable alternative route for traffic displaced by these works.

Safety Concern - added July 2006

The first time I used this junction to go from Hospital Road to turn right onto the A55 Outer Ring towards Forestside, I noticed a possible problem. Vehicles turning right from this direction go into a turn right lane before the first set of traffic lights which is for vehicles turning OUT of the Outer Ring from Forestside. Despite traffic from the Hospital Road direction already being sorted out into straight on or right-turn traffic before this light, all traffic must go straight on. I remember thinking "Gosh, it would be very easy to accidentally turn right here and end up going the wrong way along the Outer Ring". Traffic must continue straight on and turn right at the next set of lights.

Then yesterday, I was coming from Forestside and arrived at the new set of traffic lights. As I was waiting, sure enough a car turned right and ended up facing us bumper-to-bumper at the lights. The surprised driver then had to reverse back out across the dual-carriageway and continue to the next set of lights. Now, imagine if it was night and nobody had been waiting at the lights. This car would have continued along the wrong side of the Outer Ring and may have had a serious head-on collision. Although there are signs directing you where to go, they are obviously not clear enough. This problem needs to be addressed urgently before somebody is killed.

I sent a message to this effect to the Roads Service on 23 July and got the following reply on 27 July:

Thank you for your e-mail of 23 July 2006, which has been forwarded to this office for reply. When travelling on Milltown Road from Hospital Road and approaching the first junction with Belvoir Road, a number of signs and road markings have been provided to warn drivers against making a right turn against the wrong carriageway of the A55 Belvoir Road dual carriageway. The advance direction sign for the junction shows a ‘No entry’ turn, while road marking lane arrows indicate ‘Straight ahead’ movements only. There are also ‘No right turn’ signs on the traffic signal heads at the Stop Line and ‘No entry’ signs on the back of the traffic signals at Belvoir Road. These ‘No entry’ signs are positioned to also be able to warn drivers in the opposite direction from making a left turn. At present Roads Service considers that the junction is adequately signed, however we will continue to monitor the situation at the junction. I hope this information is useful and thank you for you comments on this matter.

Photos

The view of the works proceeding in mid November 2005, looking south from Milltown Road. The A55 Outer Ring dual-carriageway continues to the left while Purdysburn is straight ahead. The red-and-white blocks mark the existing teardrop roundabout, while the extent of the widening is evident towards the left of the road and on the new embankment beyond. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]

The same view eight months later in July 2006 after the project had been completed. Almost all the widening took place on the left of the road as seen here. The sliproad beside which the photographer is standing was also shifted to the left - the direction sign was moved. As you can see, capacity at this junction has been greatly increased by this scheme, although it remains to be seen how the introduction of three sets of traffic lights will affect the flow of vehicles. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]