A Markethill man has added his own words to those of the PSNI in pleading with motorists to abide by the ‘road closed’ signals as works continue on the edge of the town.
Neville Black has warned that, unless people stop and listen to the message police are trying to get across, “someone will be hurt”.
He travels daily along the route, where a road improvement schemes began earlier this month.
With work due to continue for another seven weeks, the PSNI earlier warned motorists that they will be breaking the law and liable to a ticket if they continue to ignore the road closed signs.
The work is being carried out on the Tandragee Road, just off the main Armagh to Newry Road at Markethill.
Mr Black – who takes an alternative route behind Gosford to Mullabrack and on to Markethill – is fearful of a serious road traffic collision, given the high volumes of traffic which is proceeding through without taking any notice of the restrictions.
He told Armagh I : “The road closure at Tandragee Road, Markethill, needs to be enforced.
“As a local who is having to drive miles around diversions, I am sick of meeting streams of cars driving through the signs and up through the roadworks.
“Then they try to force me on to the hard shoulder as I am coming through from the Markethill side.”
And he is totally aghast at the blatant disregard being shown to the road closure by motorists.
“I am not talking one or two cars,” added Mr Black.
“There are that many I’m beginning to think I’m the only one using the diversion.”
He claimed he had even met a bus on the road and asked people to stop and think what they are doing before someone is injured – or worse.
“It’s very frustrating to meet loads of vehicles driving through the road signs,” he insisted. “They need to stop it and stop it now!”
Later, as darkness fell, Armagh police reported counting 15 cars in the course of 15 minutes period trying to access Gosford Road despite the clearly marked road closure.
Reiterating the earlier appeal, they urged: “Please people, don’t force vehicles entering the Tandragee Road, Markethill onto the hard shoulder to avoid head on collisions! Use an alternate route.”
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