A bridge too far - Banbridge in uproar as £6m new road system threatens town centre traffic chaos

Locals are predicting accidents, traffic jams and huge tailbacks when the new system starts operating in mid-November.

They’re especially furious as, they say, the coming layout almost exactly mirrors one that was tried around 30 years ago, but immediately scrapped after it proved to be unworkable.

Town officials say the remodelled traffic system will make the heart of Banbridge more friendly to pedestrians and disabled people, but many locals hope they’ll do a U-turn and call off the change.

“No one wants this to happen,” says community representative Drew Gregg.

“I can’t work out who thought it up – likely someone who doesn’t drive, with 46 degrees and A-levels to their name but no common sense.”

The new layout revolves around a four-way intersection on the town’s Downshire Bridge.

Currently traffic travelling north and south over the bridge – directions to and from the town centre and that involve travelling up steep narrow hills to get to the intersection – has priority over vehicles going east and west.

The new system flips that, giving east and west traffic priority while making motorists going north and south give way.

An advisory body has described Banbridge town centre as unfriendly to pedestrians and completely inaccessible for many disabled people.

Officials hope the changes, which also include two new zebra crossings, will help sort those issues out.

Lord Mayor Sarah Duffy says the reworked bridge will result in ‘priority for pedestrians’ and should also ‘improve the junctions for vehicles and traffic flow across the bridge’.

"I understand it will take time to adjust to the new layout,” she adds. “I encourage everyone to embrace the changes recommended to improve this area and make it safer for everyone.”

But for Drew Gregg, the alterations bring back bad memories from 30 years ago – the last time officials tried to flip the traffic layout.

“It lasted about a month before they had to change it back,” he says. “It was chaos, and it’ll be chaos again.

“This is going to cause tailbacks, it’s going to cause jams; mark my words, there are going to be accidents.

“This can’t have been done by anyone with local knowledge, but maybe no one who was around 30 years ago is still working [in town planning].”

For Mr Gregg, the large numbers of angry comments from members of the public on a Facebook page he runs, Banbridge Area News, as well as on local newspaper the Banbridge Chronicle’s social media, are proof of the new layout's unpopularity.

“Everyone knows how much trouble this will cause, it’s plain for the whole town to see,” he says. “It would not surprise me if they have to put the bridge back the way it was again, just like happened 30 years ago.”

The new layout is being built as part of a massive £6m overhaul of the centre of Banbridge, which is revamping streets and pavements in the heart of the town.

Changes to Downshire Bridge’s traffic system come into force on November 17.