Coulter issues A26 challenge to new Roads Minister
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has said the new Roads Minister in the power-sharing Executive must make the dualling of the controversial A26 at The Frocess “a top priority before the accident death trap claims more lives”.
Assemblyman Dr Coulter said: “There is the very real danger if the new Executive minister responsible for roads does not make The Frocess section an urgent priority, that it could become one of Northern Ireland’s most notorious death traps.
“We all hope and pray the new roads minister will make a firm announcement on the dualling of this A26 accident blackspot as soon as possible after 8th May when the planned power-sharing Executive will come into force.
“Having said this, I would also continue to give my full backing to farmers from the constituency whose land is threatened by one of the proposed routes for the dualling.”
Assemblyman Coulter said he recognised that given the increased volume of traffic on this stretch of road and the continued death toll at and near The Frocess, there was “a critical need” to dual the A26 trunk road from Glarryford Cross to the A44 Drones Junction.
He added: “However, at the same time, we do not want the farming community in this locality to suffer if their farms are to be torn apart by the dualling development.
“A number of alternative routes for the A26 dualling should be considered, but I would urge the new roads minister not to literally drive the development through prime farmland.
“The agricultural community in the constituency has faced enough stresses and strains in recent decades without having the additional burden of having their land torn apart.
“This area has some of the best farmland in North Antrim and I would whole-heartedly support the farmers in their fight to stop the A26 dualling destroying their land.
“In this respect, I would also urge the roads minister to consider an alternative dualling route rather than splitting this very close knit rural community in two,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.