Roadworks will make Belfast station congestion 'even worse'

Further roadworks outside Belfast Grand Central Station will make an already difficult situation even worse, a South Belfast MLA has warned.

There will be lane closures on Grosvenor Road for one month starting on Tuesday, with the road being fully closed during the first two Sundays in April.

The closures are to facilitate underground cable works at Grosvenor Road and Durham Street as part of the ongoing upgrade of streets outside the station.

DUP MLA Edwin Poots said the situation for businesses operating close to the station was abysmal, adding that the roadworks would aggravate their problems.

Poots told BBC News NI he wants a rethink of the entire traffic management plan outside the station, saying the current situation was not working.

The underground cable work is being carried out by Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) on behalf of Translink, which owns the integrated bus and train station.

Both companies have described the roadworks, which will continue every day until 19 April, as "essential" and said they would work to minimise disruption.

Grosvenor Road has been reduced to two lanes for the duration of the work, one city-bound, and one lane country-bound.

There will be additional closures on Sundays, with the road fully closed in both directions from 06:00 to 15:00 BST on Sunday 6 April and Sunday 13 April.

This is to facilitate the removal of an underground cable on Durham Street and the upgrading of existing underground cables on Grosvenor Road.

Translink said it was working collaboratively with NIE Networks "to minimise any disruption" and to ensure access to local businesses is maintained.

But it also warned the public to "leave plenty of time for their journeys" and urged them to reduce congestion by walking, cycling or taking public transport.

NIE Networks said: "Whilst we acknowledge the disruption caused, this work is part of a significant investment in the Belfast area, increasing the reliability and capacity of the electricity network and ensuring it can facilitate a net zero future."

It added its staff and contractors would be "working continuously throughout this period including weekends and extending the length of working days in order to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum".

Since Belfast Grand Central Station opened in September, motorists and local businesses have complained it has added to traffic congestion in the area.

Durham Street, which includes the Boyne Bridge, has been closed since October to facilitate the dismantling of the bridge.

Traders based at the adjoining Sandy Row have claimed there has been a dramatic drop in footfall in their street since the bridge closure began.

A £200,000 funding scheme to support affected Sandy Row businesses was announced by the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons last month.

But his colleague Poots claimed traders are being damaged by "unnecessary congestion".

He wants Translink and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to rethink the road closures, saying he disputes "claims that traffic management plans are working".

Poots said the disruption was not only affecting business footfall around the station, but was also disrupting health staff who have to travel to nearby hospitals.

He told BBC News NI that a temporary bridge should have been put in place before work began to dismantle the Boyne Bridge.

Poots also claimed that a new bus lane on Bruce Street was "empty most of the time" but was causing commuter traffic to queue back on to Great Victoria Street.

Translink and the DfI have been contacted for comment.