Siginficant progress is being made towards reinstating access at Collinbridge, adjacent to the M2, Belfast. Part of the Collinbridge Road collapsed last weekend during persistent heavy rain.

On Thursday night Roads Service’s contractor, HMC, installed a temporary footbridge over the motorway to maintain safe pedestrian access to the Collinbridge area while the road is being repaired. Over this weekend, works are being carried out to move utility services located in the existing bridge to ensure that they are fully secured when excavation works begin. These include gas, water, electricity and telephone services.

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The works will continue next week with the excavation of the damaged area and construction of temporary works. The area will be filled with concrete and the road reconstructed. This will allow the bridge to be re-opened to traffic whilst replacement to the bridge continues. Pedestrian access across the bridge will continue to be maintained.

Detailed programming of the work is still ongoing. However, Roads Service has set HMC an ambitious target to reinstate the vehicular access by the first week in September.

Roads Service and HMC wish to apologise for the inconvenience caused to the residents of the Collinbridge Estate and Hightown Estates through which the temporary access is routed.

(JM/SP)