Ballynahinch bypass to feature public art

Ballynahinch bypass to feature public art

16 October 2019

BALLYNAHINCH’S planned multi-million pound bypass is to feature a piece of public art funded by the district’s ratepayers.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council is to provide the piece of art for the near two-mile scheme to link the Newcastle and Saintfield roads in the town.

The local authority has agreed in principle to contribute a piece of public art as part of the £35m scheme, with council officials yet to agree where it will be located along the route of the eagerly-anticipated bypass.

Council officials have agreed to commission an artist to deliver the project and undertake necessary consultations on its potential design. When funding for the bypass has been confirmed, the piece of art will be fabricated.

The news comes after it was confirmed recently that the Department of Finance is expected to approve the new road’s economic appraisal by December which is viewed as a critical step in the process ahead of the required capital funding being released.

While the required funding has not yet been made available, local politicians are hoping that it won’t be long before contractors are on site.

The Department of Infrastructure says the preparation of the scheme’s economic appraisal report is continuing with Department of Finance approval for the document due to be sought before the end of the year.

In order to advance the bypass scheme’s state of readiness, preparatory work on contract documents is ongoing in a bid to minimise the time required to initiate a procurement competition, should funding become available for construction.

As part of the proposed multi-million pound development, major new roundabouts are proposed at the Belfast Road junction with the Saintfield Road and at the Newcastle Road junction with the Downpatrick Road. A new bridge will be constructed over the Moss Road. 

It is also proposed that a section of the bypass will pass under part of the Crossgar Road with a 90 metre long bridge constructed to take traffic over Ballynahinch River.

Overtaking lanes stretching almost 900 metres are proposed at either end of the bypass where the major new roundabouts are to be constructed, with the scheme also including a shared footpath and cycle lane.

The bypass — which would be the single biggest road scheme ever constructed in the district — is expected to take in excess of 18 months to build, with roads officials insisting it will greatly benefit both strategic and local road users by reducing journey times and improving road safety. 

Roads officials are also confident that the scheme’s economic assessment demonstrates the bypass would provide a good economic return.