Hopes survey will address ‘madness’ at Crescent Link after safety concerns raised

Alliance Councillor Philip McKinney was speaking after work on a survey at the entrance to Crescent Link retail park got under way.

The Waterside representative has previously expressed frustration over the lack of action to address the concerns of residents.

Residents living behind the retail park have spoken of how they have to “run the gauntlet” and have narrowly avoided injury or traffic collisions on numerous occasions.

They have expressed concerns that children going and coming from school are being put at risk because of the lack of safe crossings and heavy traffic volumes. They said entering and leaving their own areas on foot, bike or by car is difficult and hazardous, especially at peak times.

Colr. McKinney has been campaigning for years for safety measures at the entrance and has written to the Department for Infrastructure several times over recent months seeking updates on when the situation will be addressed.

He said: “There have been a lot of near misses. I almost got hit myself there. It’s very bad at weekends and when children are getting out of school, and now coming up to Christmas it is complete madness.”

The Alliance representative will next week table a motion before Derry & Strabane Council calling on the local authority to work with others to appoint a designated road safety officer for the city and district.

The Journal contacted the Department for Infrastructure last week about the concerns raised and it is understood it was still working on a response last night.

However Colr. McKinney said he has witness survey works getting under way at the weekend at the retail park, and gave this a cautious welcome.

eanwhile an agent of the owners of the park had also been preparing to fly over from England to meet with Colr. McKinney on site to discuss their plans for a new entrance/ exit route which would help alleviate congestion and traffic volumes at the current entry point.

However this meeting has had to be postponed due to COVID travel restrictions imposed in the north of England and here.

The Derry Journal last week asked the Department if any traffic survey had been carried out in September and if so what the results of that survey were, or if it hadn’t, why not.

Back in July in response to a similar query over safety issues at Crescent Link, a Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “The Department is aware of the concerns of residents living in the vicinity of Crescent Link Retail Park and the request for consideration of a pedestrian crossing at the retail roundabout. In order to carry out a full and proper assessment on whether a controlled crossing can be justified, pedestrian and vehicular traffic volumes need to be established. Given the current general reduction in traffic numbers associated with Covid restrictions, it is not considered appropriate to carry out a survey at this time as it would not provide a full reflection of the traffic situation. The Department is committed to carrying out a survey in September when traffic volumes are likely to be closer to normal levels.”

Colr, McKinney meanwhile has also called for the speed limit in nearby Rossdowney Road to be reduced as it was putting the lives of residents and visitors to the area in jeopardy.