Campaigner Casement is delighted at progression

Campaigner Casement is delighted at progression

19 March 2025

BALLYNAHINCH man Francis Casement is synonymous with the campaign for a new bypass.

He has been involved in the drive for the new road for more years than he cares to remember and can recall a plan drawn in 1958 for a bypass starting at the Saintfield Road junction on the outskirts of the town and running as far as Brennan’s garage near Seaforde.

Mr Casement was joined at the hip during the bypass campaign by the late Vincent Fullam and the two men were instrumental in getting direct rule and locally elected roads ministers to view the scale of the congestion problem.

Remarkably, the two men also played a key role in organising a town centre traffic count and shared the results with senior government officials.

Mr Casement can also recall an early estimate of £4m to build the new road, a far cry from today’s £50m-plus estimation.

The veteran bypass campaigner and former Down councillor hopes last week’s announcement by Stormont Roads Minister Liz Kimmins will ensure the bypass is finally built.

And with no pun intended, he said had been a long and difficult road, punctuated by countless setbacks, to get the project to the stage where bulldozers could potentially be on the ground in three years’ time .

“While I hoped the road would have been built before now, the start of work is edging ever closer and I hope there are no more delays,” Mr Casement remarked.

“Town centre congestion has never been worse and you can only image the impact long tailbacks are having on the environment and current roads infrastructure. There are some homes that literally vibrate as heavy lorries trundle past.”

Mr Casement — who also recalled a suggestion over 15 years ago to build the bypass with private money and drivers paying a toll to use it — said it was essential that cash to pay for the new road is ring-fenced.

“The current town centre congestion is catastrophic,” he continued. The bypass is more vital than ever and I believe that when built it can revive the town’s economic fortunes and attract new investment. The environment will certainly benefit from taking away tonnes of carbon monoxide from vehicles stuck in huge tailbacks.”

Mr Casement said the need for a new bypass was proven time and time again and that the case for its construction has never been more overwhelming.

The bypass — now at the shovel ready stage –  is the single biggest road scheme ever proposed for the district and he hopes its construction will ensure drivers will stop using housing estates including Loughside, Carlisle Park and Langley Road and rural roads as unofficial bypasses.

“There have been many false dawns over the years but we are now at the stage that work could start within a few years which is welcome news and I wonder what Vincent would make of how close the scheme is to progressing,” Mr Casement continued.

“I have lost count of the number of locally elected and direct rule ministers who came to Ballynahinch to learn more about the bypass and i sincerely hope that I’ll get the opportunity to drive along it.”

Mr Casement continued: “It has been a long campaign to get to this point and so many people have worked hard on this project. 

“Successive divisional roads managers were in favour of the bypass but there was never the money to finally get it over the line.

“We are now at the shovel ready stage but its bulldozers we now need on site. We have reached a crucial point and I hope the work that needs to be carried out to start construction will be expedited as soon as possible.”

Mr Casement said with Ballynahinch regarded as the gateway to the Mournes, that position will  firmly cemented when the new link road opens.

He added: “Ballynahinch residents and the town’s business community deserve this scheme. It is decades overdue but it seems it’s now closer than ever. We have an estimated start date, what we really need is a definitive one.

“There were other towns which got their bypass before us which was frustrating, but we are now closer than ever and the scheme’s benefits are wide ranging.”