Anyone who has tried to travel though Newtownards will know that it suffers from chronic traffic congestion due to the fact that the only route into and out of the town from the south is along the Comber Road. This leads to tailbacks of over a mile every evening for commuters trying to get into the town, catching through traffic in its midst.

This much anticipated scheme will see a new road built as an extension from Blair Mayne Road South with a new roundabout at the Scrabo Road, then south parallel but south of Jubilee Road and join the Comber Road at a new roundabout. The road will then run from here to terminate on Portaferry Road. Another roundabout close to the airport will give access to the new Castlebawn retail park. This project is being partly funded by the developers of the Castlebawn site. It will include a 13-metre single span bridge across the canal. The contract also includes the widening of Comber Road between the new roundabout and the existing Circular Road (ie past Jubilee Road, Lidl etc).

In a letter from the Roads Service to former MP David Trimble, dated 16 March 2005, the Service indicated that "it is likely that [this scheme] may well be provided over the next two years". (Source) In the annual report presented to Ards Borough Council by Roads Service in Autumn 2005, the scheme is stated as being likely to begin "in 2006". However, as of September 2007 commencement is now estimated as November 2007.

The scheme has been controversial: firstly, it will involve the removal of the former railway embankment which the Roads Service described as an "eyesore" but which is valued by local residents as a haven for wildlife. There is dispute over whether badgers live here. Also, it will run very close to some houses on Trasnagh Drive. The Roads Service have proposed various sound barriers, but a local meeting that I attended revealed much acrimony from residents. The roundabout at Scrabo Road was an addition to the original plan, and may have been to placate these residents.

Access to Jubilee Road will remain by traffic lights onto Comber Road. There are no plans to open up a western access. Residents of the Westwinds estate will benefit from a pedestrian crossing close to the estate.

Note on Costs

The cost of this scheme is very uncertain. In an assembly written answer on 1 Feb 2008 Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy stated that "the total cost of the scheme is £20.5 million, of which Roads Service will contribute £2.5million." We can assume from this that £18m is being contributed by the private developer, presumably the Castlebawn developer. However in this press statement 8 weeks later, Conor Murphy says "It is anticipated that work on this 2.7km scheme to link Portaferry Road, Comber Road and Belfast Road will take approximately 12 months to complete with a construction cost of £7million". Clearly it refers to the same project, but no clue is given to explain the wildly varying costs between the two statements. This press release, by the owners of the planned Castlebawn Retail Park on 2 April 2008, gives the cost as "£8million" with their contribution being "almost £5million".

Progress

Update on 24 Apr 2008: Topsoil clearance work is now well underway on the route, initially on the eastern end between Comber Road and Portaferry Road. However more bore holes are being drilled on the route between Comber Road and Belfast Road and topsoil clearance has begun here too. A press release on the Castlebawn web site dated 2 April 2008 adds more confusion to the murky question of how much this scheme is costing. They claim that the scheme costs £8m, of which Castlebawn is contributing "almost £5m". This is at odds with both of Conor Murphy's variant statements on the cost of the scheme. Castlebawn claim that work will begin on the retail park as soon as the new road opens.

Update on 2 Apr 2008: Work officially began on the project today with an official "sod cutting" ceremony led by Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy. Prior indications have been that work will begin first at the Portaferry Road end with the work at the Belfast end taking place later. However, the press statement makes it clear that this work is for the whole proposed road.

Update on 5 Feb 2008: In this parliamentary written answer on 1 Feb, Roads Service are saying that work will begin in March/April 2008. The cost was given as £20.5m of which Roads Service will contribute £2.5m. The cost stated on this page up until now (£3m) has obviously been the public contribution, not the whole cost.

Update on 11 Dec 2007: No work has yet begun, and in a parliamentary written answer on 7 Dec Roads Service are now saying that work is likely to begin "early next year" and last "approximately 12 months".

Update on 27 Sep 2007: From a helpful response to an e-mailed question, Roads Service are now saying that the contract is likely to be awared in November 2007, with work to proceed in two phases, and to be completed by "late 2008". The section from Comber Road to Portaferry Road is due to commence first, with the section from Comber Road to Blair Mayne Road South to proceed later. Tenders were returned on 13 September 2007.

Update on 14 Dec 2006: Speaking to a Roads Service employee at the Frederick Street Link public inquiry I discovered that planning permission has been granted for the Comber Road - Portaferry Road section, but not yet the Blair Mayne Road to Comber Road section. He also said that the first of these two is being funded privately, with the second publicly. Since the project must proceed at one time, construction is now timetabled for Summer 2007 and will last approximately one year.

Update on 9 Nov 2006: I telephoned the Roads Service today and they told me that while the project was to have begun in "late 2006" it has now been pushed back to "Spring 2007". They said that the scheme was currently in the "advance design" stage.

Map

This map of the western portion was given out to the public at a Roads Service public meeting in summer 2005. It was stressed at the meeting that it was still a draft. The first map shows the route from the roundabout at the Ards Shopping Centre with the Blair Mayne Road below. Then the new road is shown curving round to the south east. The second map continues eastwards below Jubilee Road to join the Comber Road.

Photos

Newtownards seen from Scrabo Hill. The new road will run from the Blair Mayne Road South (seen on very left, grey road going vertically). It will follow the line of trees in front of the houses and past the test centre on the right. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]

Newtownards seen from Scrabo Hill. The new road will run through the blank area of land between the factories of Jubilee Road and the West Winds estate on the right. It will join Comber Road at a new roundabout beside where the large factory is. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]

The view of the waste ground seen in the previous photo but from ground level. In a few years, this will be full of vehicles travelling on the new link road. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]