Ballymoyer Road Gritting Urgently Needed - Enough is enough!

Email forwarded to DOE Southern Roads Service

For years now our school community has highlighted the dangers of ice and snow on the Ballymoyer Road, Newtownhamilton, yet it remains unsalted during the winter months.  The road conditions this morning 10.01.2020  were potentially life threatening for motorists.  I received a number of phone calls from concerned parents today who had tried to get their children into school by car only to have to return home again.  One car travelling on the road ended up on its roof with all its windows smashed!

Our local councillor has also campaigned for some time now for this road to be added to the list of roads which are to be gritted, but all our concerns are clearly just falling on deaf ears.  The Local Council and DOE seem to think that it is reasonable and practical to provide a few heaps of grit along road sides and that working people have the time before work in the mornings to get out with shovels and scatter grit!  This is a ridiculous assumption and totally unpractical. 

The unfortunate motorist involved in the shocking accident this morning has been very lucky to not be seriously injured.  This was not only traumatic for her but for all motorists who subsequently witnessed the overturned car.  It is especially upsetting for young children to see on route to school and can cause great anxiety for them as they become concerned for their parent who has to return home again after the school run.

The Ballymoyer Road is a busy road regardless of its current classification by the DOE.  The current assessment of roads for gritting I believe is also outdated.  There are various factors which must be considered when assessing a road for gritting (in addition to the volume of traffic).  Probability and likelihood of potential accidents should be the priority! 

The Ballymoyer Road has unique features which dramatically increase the likelihood of accidents during winter months.  For a start, the speed limit on this road is 60mph, which is the same a dual carriageway or main category A road.  In addition, the road surface is deplorable with numerous pot holes along the 4 mile stretch.  There are a number of hills and very tight corners which present unpredictable hazards for motorists.  The steep fields and soil type in the area also causes an excessive amount of water to flow onto the road causing black ice in winter.  Tall evergreen trees near the Ballymoyer Woodland restrict the sunlight which causes icy conditions to take much longer to thaw out.  All these factors combined I believe contribute to this road being a high risk to motorists, especially in winter time.   

As a rural community, we can appreciate that gritting this road may set a precedence for the DOE (which may be the main reason why it has remained as a class B road).  I still find it unacceptable that the DOE continues to refuse to grit this road when it is obvious to those travelling this route that accidents (such as the one this morning) are almost a monthly occurrence during the winter months. 

It is critical that families in this area need to be able to get to school and work safely during the winter months.  I call again on those who have the authority to facilitate the gritting of this road to do so urgently.  I sincerely hope that no one will lose their life on this road during these winter months as a result of the DOE’s continued stubborn stance on their gritting policy.  I also urge every motorist using this road to do so with extreme caution in the mornings and still hope that the DOE will begin to take seriously the concerns of those in our community who continue to highlight this issue and take action before it is too late.

Yours faithfully,

Justin Toner

Principal