A WEST Belfast councillor has welcomed the announcement of work to improve drivers' line of sight at a notorious local blindspot.
Sinn Féin Councillor Ronan McLaughlin said the Department for Communities (DfC) is set to cut back the hedges at Groves Reilly Corner in a bid to improve visibility at the Glen Road/Falls Road junction.
The hedges, which bound the former Andersonstown Barracks site, have been the subject of countless complaints from motorists who are often forced to edge into oncoming traffic due to a lack of visibility.
"I've been engaging with the Department on this issue for nearly two years, and there's been to-ing and fro-ing between DfC and DfI (Department for Infrastructure) which came to a head in the last two months or so," Cllr McLaughlin explained.
"We got both departments on site last week and it was agreed that it was the Department for Communities, and that the Department for Infrastructure have no real say in what happens to it.
"I finally met DfC on site this morning and we've agreed a plan to take it forward to lower the hedges. Hopefully we'll see the hedging removed in the next three to four weeks.
"It will almost be at knee height so if you're sitting on the Glen Road you'll be able to see the vehicles coming. The rest of the hedging will remain, so the area will still be as aesthetically pleasing, it's just once you come to the give way line you'll be able to see the vehicle opposite you."
He added: "I travel down the Glen Road every day myself, so what happens is that you generally edge onto the road which creates an even more dangerous junction, so hopefully this will allow people to go about their business in a more safe way."
