|
|
Status
|
Construction
scheme (proposed) |
|
Where
|
To
construct a link road between the end of
the A3 Northway and Eastway near Lurgan.
|
|
Total
Length
|
2.0 km / 1.3 miles
(assuming it starts on Northway itself)
|
|
Dates
|
1965 - Craigavon New
City established
1967 - Detailed plans
include a proposal similar to this one
2004 - Road protection corridor included
in Craigavon Area Plan 2010
No plans to proceed as
of 2014
|
|
Cost
|
£unknown
|
|
Map
|
See below. |
|
See
Also
|
General
area map - Google Maps
|
When Craigavon was
being designed back in the late 1960s, the
original plan was that a dual-carriageway -
Northway - would run the full length of the
city, from roughly the A76 Lough Road in Lurgan
all the way through Brownlow and Portadown to
the west side of the latter. This scheme exists
purely as a "land protection corridor" in the Craigavon
Area Plan 2010, which was adopted in 2004.
It preserves a corridor for the extension of
Northway from its current terminus at Craigavon
Centre to Eastway, which is itself a partially
built remnant of a much grander plan for a road
that would have run north-south between Lurgan
and Brownlow. The route follows the railway line
between the two balancing lakes, ie the route of
the originally planned Northway, and is shown in
red in this map:
The weird loop at the right is how the road
protection corridor is shown in the Craigavon
Area Plan 2010. However, this probably doesn't
mean the road would actually have a big loop
like that. More likely it merely encircles the
land that could be required to keep various
options open for provision of a terminating
roundabout. Also, at the western end, the land
protection corridor starts at Lakeview Road,
rather than Northway. I am not sure if this is
the actual intention, or merely an inaccuracy
in the map in the Craigavon Area Plan 2010,
since the text of the plan explicity calls it
the "Northway to Eastway Link".
Therefore, I have shown in green a section of
road that would be needed to make this a
proper link to Northway.
At the time of writing (2014) I think it is
highly unlikely that we will see this scheme
implemented in the foreseeable future, as it
would require a significant injection of
government funds, and it would be hard to
justify as it it would basically mirror the
existing A3 Lake Road just to the south. The
whole area would need to be much more
developed before this road would be necessary.
As it is only a "land protection corridor", it
is not a live road proposal so there is not
currently any plan to build it. Instead, it
exists simply to keep the option open for
future generations. As the plan puts it, this
scheme is "...not yet programmed for
implementation, however, the Department
considers that [its route] should be
protected in the interests of longer term
strategic planning". A "land protection
corridor" makes sure that the planning
authorities do not give planning permission
for anything that would prevent the road being
built at a future date.
.
.
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