The bridge over the railway line at Finaghy Road North in west Belfast will close to traffic in the summer for two months while essential safety improvements take place.

In a joint operation, Roads Service and Northern Ireland Railways will replace existing walls and fences over the bridge with a high standard safety barrier. This work, valued at £1.4million, involves strengthening of the bridge. The width of carriageway and footway will also be increased.

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The work was prompted after a study of the risks of vehicle incursions onto the railway track following an accident where a vehicle landed on a railway track in Selby, Yorkshire, in 2001 in which ten people lost their lives.

After this crash the Department of Transport recommended that each road over rail site on the entire rail network be assessed for risk to reduce the chances of a road vehicle reaching a railway track. Of the 124 sites in the north that have been assessed, 18 were identified for treatment and Finaghy Road North was considered to be the highest risk.

Existing train services will operate as normal and Finaghy halt will remain operational throughout the works. Some work can only be carried out at night to avoid disruption to rail services.

Diversionary routes via Blacks Road and Stockman's Lane will be well signposted and the closures advertised well in advance.

(VB/JM)