Work to begin on £60m bypass in three years, says minister

Building work on the Ballynahinch bypass should begin in three years time, according to Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins.

The project had previously been put on pause in 2023 due to budgetary constraints but will now move forward to business case and procurement.

The 1.9-mile (3.1km) single-lane road would skirt the eastern side of the County Down town and aims to relieve chronic congestion, improve safety and benefit the nearby tourist town of Newcastle.

In a statement, the Department for Infrastructure said a procurement process will begin in 2027-28, with works scheduled to commence in 2028-29.

It would then take a further two years before the road opens.

The road, which previous estimates have costed at between £50m and £60m, would see the development of a "park and share" facility at a new roundabout on the main A24 Belfast Road before rejoining the Newcastle/Drumaness Road at its junction with the B2 Downpatrick Road.

The project would also include a footpath and cycleway.

The road would travel through countryside with vesting orders expected to be made when funding has been confirmed.

Speaking at a fresh project launch on Wednesday at Ballynahinch's Market House, Kimmins said she was working with officials to ensure work "moves at pace and that people will see the progress in the not too distant future".

"It's been long awaited and it's what the people of this area want and it will be transformational for Ballynahinch town centre," she said.

"So I'm confident that we will see delivery unless there are any unforeseen delays."

Kimmins added that one of the key things she has heard about from Ballynahinch locals is the problem with congestion.

She said: "A lot of the traffic coming through the town isn't people stopping off in the town, and that's stopping others actually coming here to stop off and use the shops and cafes.

"So it's about reducing that congestion and improving the economy in this local area, attracting more visitors and improving the air quality of the town centre."

DUP MLA for Strangford Harry Harvey welcomed the news, saying that: "Today is a good day for the community of Ballynahinch."

"Traffic congestion in Ballynahinch has had a huge impact on the town for many years, affecting both businesses and residents, as well as those in the surrounding areas who rely on ease of both commuting into the town, and for passage along this key route.

"Given this has been the case for so long, I welcome the announcement from the DfI Minister that the proposed Ballynahinch bypass will now move to the next key stage," Harvey said.

Last April the issue of the bypass was once again raised after the tragic death of 70-year-old Giovanni Buggea, with many feeling the bypass would greatly reduce the risk of such incidents.

Kimmins said it was "important" to think of Mr Buggea and his family, "especially coming up to that anniversary".

"I think incidents like that, in any road scheme, really focus minds," she added.

"And I think that road safety element is a critical part of any decision making project – so of course that will be factored in.

"There are the ordinary processes, such as the statutory orders, procurement tenders all of that. So officials are working on that and we hope to be on site as early as possible."

Ballynahinch, in it's current form is a daily bottleneck. Much of the town centre operates on a circular one-way system with part of the main street stuck in the middle.

For commuters headed to and from Belfast it is an unwanted but unavoidable stop on their daily journey.

As a major regional educational hub it is also packed with buses at peak times as thousands of children make their way to the towns multiple primary and post primary schools.

Things don't die down at weekends or holidays either. This is because the town is on the route between Belfast and the seaside resort of Newcastle.

The chronic congestion also raises safety issues. And there have been tragedies – exemplified by the death of Mr Buggea.

But any major road build is likely to raise concerns and objections. Land will need to be vested and environmental issues will need to be addressed – and then there's the small matter of securing the £50m to £60m needed to build the road.