The new £340 million (€408 million) Grand Central Station in Belfast is contributing to serious traffic congestion in the city, Stormont’s Infrastructure Minister has said.
John O’Dowd dealt with a number of questions in the Assembly from MLAs who complained about “traffic chaos” in the city.
The Sinn Féin minister said his officials are reviewing traffic problems from the weekend to see if lessons need to be learned.
Mr O’Dowd pointed to the new public transport hub as well as a major resurfacing scheme at the Sydenham Bypass and suggested rural MLAs would wonder what political representatives from the city are complaining about.
Grand Central Station, which officially opened earlier this month, will become the largest integrated transport hub on the island of Ireland, replacing the Europa Bus Centre and the former Great Victoria Street Station.
It is set to become operational in phases. While buses are already operating, train services are expected to start later this year.
During ministerial question time at Stormont, DUP MLA Phillip Brett referred to “traffic chaos in our city centre at the weekend”.
A major resurfacing project began at the weekend on the Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast, one of the city’s main arterial routes.
Mr O’Dowd said: “The traffic chaos you refer to at the weekend is the result of a £3.2 million road improvement scheme being carried out in Belfast.
“I suspect people in rural Fermanagh and rural Tyrone and elsewhere are aghast that people are complaining they are getting £3.2 million spent in their area.”
But DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said the issues were not just caused by roadworks.
He said: “Can I ask the minister to explain in detail what his department’s plans are to alleviate the serious congestion concerns?”
The minister responded: “There is serious traffic congestion in Belfast in the mornings and during the evening rush-hour.
“Part of it is as a result of a £340 million investment in a new Grand Central Station, part of it is the result of the £3.2 million that is being spent on upgrading the Sydenham Bypass.
“The reason why some of it is happening is because we are making investment in our infrastructure for the economic wellbeing of us all.”
He added: “I have asked my officials to monitor the Belfast situation closely to see if there is interim measures we can take while the work in and around Grand Belfast Central Station is going ahead, to see if there are changes to lighting operations or streetlighting operations that we could take that would help alleviate the traffic in and around it.
“I accept there are always circumstances where public transport is not suitable, but when you are sitting in traffic perhaps one question we need to ask is this – ‘Could we use public transport?’
“When you are sitting in traffic, you are the traffic.”
DUP MLA David Brooks said east Belfast is particularly affected by the traffic problems, which he said he believes are caused by “poor traffic management”.
Mr O’Dowd said: “I am looking at your rural colleagues as they look with envy upon Belfast receiving its £3.2 million roads improvement, its £340 million bus and rail station.
“Your rural colleagues are going ‘What are you complaining about?’
“I do accept there has been traffic congestion in Belfast city centre. We are reviewing it and if lessons need to be learned from the weekend, they will be learned moving forward.
“But we are resurfacing a major artery into Belfast. It needs upgraded, it needs resurfaced and that is why we are doing it.”
Mr Brooks said some residents in the Sydenham area felt they were “locked into” their streets at the weekend.
