Plan would send traffic one-way on throughpass and up town

Catriona Loughran • Published 19 Nov 2009 09:00 2 Comments

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As the wait continues for the development of the Southern Bypass, DRD Roads Service are considering a number of interim measures to alleviate traffic flow in Enniskillen and are exploring the possibility of introducing a new one-way system to the town.

The controversial proposal could see the Wellington Road (along the throughpass) transformed into a one-way system with traffic travelling in one direction from east to west.

Motorists travelling in from the west, such as the Sligo and Shore Roads will travel left to Queen Street and across to Darling Street as normal, but instead of turning left at Halls Lane, motorists will be allowed to travel east down Church Street, High Street and along East Bridge Street before converging at Belmore Street with the remaining one-way traffic also travelling east along the Queen Elizabeth Road.

It's one of many proposals under consideration by Roads Service aiming to ease traffic flow problems in and out of the island town with many councillors and motorists suggesting the situation has reached "crisis point".

The problem is particularly evident on the Wellington Road which is said to carry over 18,000 vehicles per day (1350 of which are heavy goods vehicles) and is considered to be one of the busiest provincial town routes in Northern Ireland.

However problems with a new one-way system could arise with convergence of traffic at Belmore Street as the area is already tightly congested with the current two-way system and businesses may not welcome additional traffic flow around the Diamond area.

A DRD Roads Service spokesman said, "The proposal is very premature at this stage and we would hope that it would be ruled out rather than considered but we have to look at all options in how to improve traffic flow in and out of the town."

Traffic problems in the town should be eased significantly when the Enniskillen Southern Bypass comes into being, but with a route corridor only set to be presented to the public at a consultation day scheduled for autumn 2010-it looks like we could be waiting almost ten more years for a completion date.

In a statement released this week, Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott said progress is "too slow" and more needs to be done to quicken the creation of a bypass.

"Throughout the course of this year it has become clear that the need is becoming ever greater due to the continuing economic recession and the influx of people from the Republic of Ireland who come to Enniskillen to shop. So to now get the news that the route identification work may not be completed until the summer of 2010, some fifteen months after it began, is extremely frustrating," he said.

In the meantime, Roads Service has also recommended a scheme to link the traffic lights along the Wellington Road to allow traffic to flow more freely.

Another proposal is to make the Wellington Road a more improved two-way system with the possibility of "freeing up" traffic beside Iceland where vehicles on the right lane travelling west are currently only permitted to turn right into Paget Lane.

A pedestrian crossing is also being considered at the traffic lights linking pedestrians with the footbridge at Erneside to Maud's cafe making it a more safe and efficient crossing.

The possibility of an overhead footbridge for pedestrians could also be introduced to that area further down the line to alleviate even more traffic flow on the Wellington Road.

Although the proposed new one-way system is only an option and may not even come to fruition, it's believed diagrams have been presented to councillors and a modelling exercise could be expected on a range of proposals in the coming months.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 19 Nov 09

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clive
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Nov 19, 12:36
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I used to live in Enniskillen and have observed from new reports the traffic situation getting worse, however the town I currently live in is operating a one-way system and it is a disater, and I feel this would be same for Enniskillen

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kp
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Nov 19, 13:22
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I could have told the road service that ages ago. It is obvious to me that series of traffic lights should be linked so that traffic can flow across a large stretch of road, instead of the stop-start-stop-stop-stop nonsense that is currently occurring along this section. Often times no progress is made by westbound traffic in the middle lane at the lights right beside Enniskillen Castle for several sequences of light change.

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