NI Water Gives Updates On Saintfield Road Roadworks

UPDATE ON ROADWORKS –A24 & A55 Saintfield Road, Belfast and A23 & A55 Prince Regent Road, Castlereagh, Belfast

NI Water has provided an update that a road closure will now be required at A24 Saintfield Road junction with A55 Upper Knockbreda Road on Sunday 7^th April 2024.

This is to allow the NI Water team to have safe access to valves to allow the repair of one of two bursts on a 30” steel trunk water main that runs between Purdysburn and Ballyhanwood.

The other investigations for a second burst on the same main trunk is at the Prince Regent Road junction with the A23 Castlereagh Road close to the A55 Belfast outer ring road continue, with a scheduled lane closure expected there on Sunday 24^th March 2024 and again on Sunday 14^th April 2024.

To try to keep disruption to a minimum, all repair work will happen on Sundays.

A Traffic Management Plan will be in place to keep traffic moving. Access will be maintained for local residents; however, this might be required via diversion routes. The expected completion date for the repair works is 14 April 2024.

The dates of the forthcoming lane and road closures are as follows:

• Sunday 24th March 2024 at Prince Regent Road adjacent to the A23 Castlereagh Road, Belfast near the A55 Upper Knockbreda Road. Lane closure in Prince Regent Road to allow exploratory works.
• Sunday 7th April 2024 at A24 Saintfield Road junction with A55 Upper Knockbreda Road near Forestside Shopping Centre, Belfast. Road closure to allow a Trunk Main repair.
• Sunday 14th April 2024 at Prince Regent Road adjacent to the A23 Castlereagh Road, Belfast near the A55 Upper Knockbreda Road. Lane closure in Prince Regent Road to allow Trunk Main repair.

NI Water Area Manager Natalie Healey said:“NI Water commenced exploratory works on Tuesday 19^th March at the A24 Saintfield Road junction and successfully located the burst on the trunk main.

“The nature of the repair work and the ground conditions mean it is too dangerous for traffic to pass the works, so a full road closure will be required to allow the work to allow safe access to the valves so that the repair can place safely.

“NI Water fully appreciates the frustration and inconvenience this will cause and apologise for the inconvenience.

“We realise that traffic and local residents will be affected but the NI Water team is working as fast as possible to complete this repair work by 14^th of April 2024 and we will do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum.”