There are no plans to add the Bannfoot Road to winter gritting schedules – despite a double decker bus carrying school children skidding off it in icy conditions last month.
The bus had been travelling along the rural road, at Derrytrasna near Lurgan, when it left the carriageway and came to a halt, teetering on the roadside and in danger of toppling.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported on that occasion.
But the incident itself left to a chorus of calls from political representatives, past and present, demanding that the road now be included for gritting.
Described as a “dead end” but “densely populated”, one former local representative complained to Armagh I at the time: “If it had toppled over we could have been dealing with numerous fatalities.”
Calls for the road to be added after such a near miss have had no impact, however.
Put simply, the road has been deemed not busy enough to warrant its inclusion in winter gritting coverage.
Confirmation came from Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins in response to a written question by Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty.
The SDLP Assemblyman had asked the Minister if her Department would move to “prioritise gritting of the B2 road into and out of Derrytrasna” following January’s accident.
Minister Kimmins explained that the B2 Derrytrasna Road between Lurgan and Derrytrasna was gritted, as was the B2 Charlestown Road between Derrytrasna and Carn.
But she added: “The C160 Bannfoot Road is not gritted because it does not meet the criteria set out in the Department’s winter service policy for inclusion in the winter gritting schedule.
“Bannfoot Road is not a through route and does not carry sufficient traffic for further consideration.”
Detailing how the schedule is worked up, the Minister said: “Prior to the start of each winter service season, my Department carries out a significant amount of pre-planning to ensure a state of readiness. Staffing arrangements are finalised, pre-season checks on winter service equipment are complete and our salt barns are filled to capacity.
“My Department targets the limited resources available on the busier main through routes, as per the current winter service policy. The application of this policy means that 28% of the total road network, which carries around 80% of traffic, is salted, and provides action where it is most needed and most-effective.
“In addition to gritting this 28% Primary Salting Network, salt bins and grit piles are provided for use by the public, on a self-help basis, on other routes adopted or maintained by my Department, but which do not qualify for inclusion on the gritting schedule.
“Where possible, once the condition of the Primary Salting Network is secured, secondary salting may be undertaken on other, more rural roads, particularly during prolonged periods of hazardous weather. These decisions are taken by experienced engineers who review all available data and Met office expert opinion.”
After confirming no plans to add the Bannfoot Road, she added: “It must, however, be emphasised that the service provided cannot eliminate the risks – even on roads that are gritted, ice free conditions cannot be guaranteed, and I would urge motorists to drive with caution, take the ever-changing weather conditions into account and leave extra time for their journey.”
