THE Department for Infrastructure have committed to a number of road safety improvements in Dunmurry following calls from local residents.
Last year at a community meeting on road safety at the Beechlawn Hotel, residents raised a number of infrastructure issues affecting the area including speeding, bad parking, potholes and poorly-maintained infrastructure.
Following a successful site visit with Department of Infrastructure officials, People Before Profit reps have secured several important commitments from the Department for Infrastructure.
The Department has committed to repainting double yellow lines and ‘Slow Down’ markings on Upper Dunmurry Lane, and to undertaking a feasibility assessment for a pedestrian crossing near Glebe Road.
New signage will also be erected on both approaches to the Dunmurry train station bridge, with yellow and black markings around the arch repainted. ‘No footway below bridge’ signage will also be installed to alert pedestrians.
Overgrown verges and ivy along Upper Dunmurry Lane have been cut back, and blocked drains in the area will be cleaned and tested. Netherlands Park and Summerhill Road are also listed on the Department’s Priority Resurfacing Programme, with work likely to start in 2027/28.
People Before Profit Councillor Michael Collins said: “We appreciate the hard work and cooperation of the Department for Infrastructure workers on these important road safety issues.
“However, people across West Belfast are waiting far too long for potholes to be filled and for pedestrian crossings to be installed. These aren’t luxuries, they’re basic safety measures.
"The Sinn Féin Minister for Infrastructure has too often failed to prioritise the safety of working class communities. With Sinn Féin controlling both Infrastructure and Finance, they should be prioritising real investment in areas that desperately need it.
"People in West Belfast deserve high quality infrastructure they can depend upon – not empty promises and endless delays.”
