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Westlink clean-up underway after floods
Monday, 18 August 2008
The clean-up at the underpass at Broadway after heavy rain caused it to flood at the weekend.
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Emergency services across Northern Ireland battling to clear up after the weekend’s severe flooding were today braced for more downpours.
With Belfast’s Westlink swamped by 20 million gallons of water on Saturday, there was disruption to morning rush hour traffic in the city as a multi-agency operation continued to clear the flooding.
And as the Roads Service promised a full investigation, there was anger that the recently opened underpass — lauded as part of the £104m solution to traffic problems on the busiest road in the country — had fallen foul of the weather.
There were also fears that further traffic disruption could occur as it emerged that this is the wettest August on record, with more heavy rain predicted in the coming days.
A severe weather warning remained in place this morning and a spokesman for the Met Office said: “This month has been the wettest August on record, with 177.8mm of rainfall. The last wettest August was in a 1956 with 161mm of rainfall.
“There is a moderate risk of further disruption across Northern Ireland during Monday, as a result of further outbreaks of fairly heavy rain, especially during the afternoon and evening.”
John Dallat, an SDLP member of the Assembly’s Regional Development Committee, said the flooding of the underpass in Belfast demonstrated a lack of foresight and that motorists are suffering as a result.
“There was clearly ample opportunity to design the underpass for any eventuality, particularly when you consider the amount of money invested, so it comes as a great disappointment that a project like this fails on its first test,” he said.
“Obviously there has to be a detailed inquiry why the road wasn’t tested for how it would cope with inclement weather conditions and it shows that the DRD is going to have to reconsider developments in future in light of the flash-flooding we have been experiencing.”
As the underpass remained closed throughout the weekend much of the traffic passed through west Belfast and SDLP councillor for the area Tim Attwood said serious questions need to be asked of the DRD.
“The teams of workers from the Emergency Services, Northern Ireland Water, the Roads Service and the Rivers Agency need to be congratulated for their tireless efforts in helping people and tackling the floods,” he said.
“However, the Roads Service has serious questions to answer about how the new Westlink Underpass could be flooded so quickly. This will mean traffic chaos as the main route into Belfast is impassable. Roads Service will have to explain how this could happen and what steps they are going to take to ensure that it does not happen again. The SDLP will be seeking an urgent meeting with Roads Service.”
The emergency services have been working closely with the DRD all weekend on one of the biggest clean-up operations ever seen on a road in Northern Ireland. It is thought the underpass flooded when a pumping station beside the road was overwhelmed after a nearby river overflowed.
A section of the central barrier had to be cut with anglegrinders to allow traffic to be turned away. Several cars are believed submerged in the water after drivers abandoned them amid rising water on Saturday.
A PSNI spokesman said the Westlink had come to a standstill early this morning and advised motorists to take an alternative route if possible.
“Motorists can expect disruptions to traffic this morning as the Westlink Underpass is completely closed and traffic is tailed back to the M1.”
As the morning progressed, the backlog was said to be clearing and traffic reported to be moving throughout the affected area. Roads Service said major delays were expected on the M1 and Westlink throughout the day as traffic would be using the traffic signalled junction at Broadway.
An investigation has been ordered by the Roads Minister into how the multi-million pound underpass flooded. Conor Murphy visited the scene over the weekend.
"I have asked Roads Service to carry out a full investigation into the underpass' flooding," he said.
"The contractors are still working here and we will want to be talking to them to ascertain how it became flooded and why it didn't clear itself quickly as well as to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen in future."
DUP MLA Jim Wells warned that a single point of contact must be introduced for flooding complaints as a matter of urgency as home owners can’t identify whether the water is coming from the roads, a river or a water main.
“The Northern Ireland public simply cannot wait until 2010,” the Assembly member said.
He also warned that planners must strictly enforce their policy of not permitting further development in areas which are prone to flooding.
“Some of the problems which arose at the weekend are due to houses being built in totally unsuitable areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, motorists travelling to hospitals in Belfast were also advised to drive with caution and allow plenty of time for their journey, while all hospital and community based health and care services in the Belfast area were due to continue to be provided as normal.
Other roads across the province affected by the heavy rainfall included the Mount Road and Carrigs Road in Warrenpoint and the Nursery Road in Ballymena which was closed after a bridge collapsed. The A26 Moira to Airport Road was re-opened this morning.
Farmers in Beragh, Co Tyrone, were praised for bringing in slurry pumping equipment to redirect rising flood waters to the western end of the village, preventing worse damage to new homes in the Riverdale and Cooley Meadows estates and the clubroom of the Red Knights GAA Club.
Meanwhile, Belfast City Council’s emergency flood helpline — 0800 707 6965 — is to remain open for the foreseeable future.
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Comments
26 Comments
Thanks so much. This aritical really helped me get the right details for my english speach about bad weather.
Posted by Hanna | 18.09.08, 20:33 GMT
We're getting our fair share of flooding here too, it won't stop!
Posted by janita | 19.08.08, 02:20 GMT
You can build all the underpasses (that flood)but until you address the real problem which is intersection designs that eliminate jams gridlock and congestion then you are wasting money. As to building a tunnel in low lying ground!
Over $50,000,000 per set of lights to bypass 17 sets of lights called the Lane Cove tunnel has done nothing to relieve traffic in Sydney.Motorists avoid it because of the TOLL
In the response from 10 Downing Street 21,July2008 Mr Brown has forwarded a 15 minute DVD that looks at the existing roads intersections and then looks at intersections at www.ubtsc.com.au to the Department of Main Roads so they may respond on his behalf
Traffic lights have been around for 140 years, roundabouts 104 years and the latest interchange like the Red Tan in Texas has eight slow zones where left and right turn traffic is together and two merge to turn left or right
Anyone interested in looking to the future?
Saving up to 40 %of your fuel bill?
Jozef Goj CEO UBTSC Pty Lt
Posted by Jozef Goj | 19.08.08, 01:37 GMT
Few drowning victims would have survived such immersion..well done those who built the thing - it will reopen on Tuesday - in New Orleans it would be back to the drawing board!
Posted by Fergal | 19.08.08, 00:30 GMT
I have travelled the west link since work started , and i think the contractors have done a great job
even when they were finishing the Grosvenor road end
They kept the traffic moving not at a great speed but moving
not so long ago the same contractors were the greatest for completing the work in good time
I feel that it unfair to blame the contractors on the weather
the west link and the underpass is a tribute to the people who planned it and the people who worked on it
every one is sorry for what happened and the damage that was done ,so lets leave the contractors to do their job and get this road open as soon as possible
Posted by N.GORDON | 18.08.08, 22:48 GMT
One little detail that seems to have been missed.
The original design was supposed to be an overpass.
However, one political party in particular felt that this cemented the politics of exclusion of West Belfast from the City Centre.
Posted by JohnOC | 18.08.08, 20:22 GMT
Many thanks to the Fire & Rescue Service for all the hard dirty and wet work that they put in oveer last weekend.
Posted by Big S | 18.08.08, 20:15 GMT
Very pleased that our Executive are to support affected homeowners. Now can we talk about affected business owners - can we apply for a handout too?
Posted by Lagan flood victim | 18.08.08, 19:45 GMT
isn't it amazing with all these comments that everybody knows the reasons why the westlink underpass was flooded, why didn't somebody suggest an overpass before the westlink underpass was constructed? eh. Talk about putting the horse before the cart!!
I don't hear people complaining about how early the underpass was completed and how well the traffic is now flowing before this unfortunate flooding.
Come on wiseup.
Posted by Terry | 18.08.08, 19:30 GMT
was built on top of a bog medows? what a stupid idea is there no drainage.this would of helped
Posted by Anouska Harte | 18.08.08, 18:27 GMT
Maybe the roads service should build an OVERPASS over the underpass.
Posted by Bill | 18.08.08, 16:31 GMT
Many underpasses are beside or under rivers and don't flood. Paris, London, Dublin & Cork are some I can think of.
Posted by Al | 18.08.08, 16:29 GMT
Erm... isn't this the udnerpaas that was opened ahead of schedule?
Posted by John H | 18.08.08, 16:28 GMT
Over fifty years ago and before the M1 and Boucher were constructed the Bog Meadows acted as a balancing lake and was a flood area in times of heavy rainfall.
In order to drain this area a tunnel was constructed that commenced from the Lagan embankment - under Botanic Gardens- College Gardens- Tates Avenue and ended near the present West Link Underpass This large pipe line was effective in draining most of the Bog Meadows and permitted the construction of Boucher Road, the M1 and the buildings along Boucher Road.
It seems obvious during this extreme rainfall the tunnel pipe inltake was unable to take all the flow from all the overflowing streams and rivers converging at the tunnel intake and no pump house could cope with the rain water flowing to the bottom of the underpass
Posted by thomas gilmore | 18.08.08, 15:55 GMT
when i was a child in the early 1950's that area of broadway was known as the bog meadows,and nearby celtic park greyhound was alway,s flooded... flyover is the answer(too late now)..
Posted by eddie leslie | 18.08.08, 15:42 GMT
Snow falls roads BLOCKED
High temps. roads MELT
Heavy rain roads FLOOD
and can the various depts.handle it ? NO,NO,NO. What a third world country.
Posted by jeff wilson | 18.08.08, 15:41 GMT
I live on the Donegall Road, and for the past few years have had to live with the noise and inconvience of the building of this new road, especially at night and have had to pay for putting in double glazing in the hope that the traffic would ease on the Donegall Road. built. Now the traffic will be back to impossible on the Donegall Road, surely this should not have happened
Posted by Adams | 18.08.08, 14:53 GMT
Another thing....politicians are all on about 'ohh this was a freak event....we had one months rainfall....etc'.
That's exactly why we have EMERGENCY PLANNING! whats going to happen to northern ireland in the event of a flu pandemic? if it can't cope with a weather event that was known to them beforehand, then how are they going to cope when foods running out in the shops, key workers such as healthcare staff and supermarket workers (yes, they are key!) are off sick, and hospitals are full.
good luck when its every man for himself!
Posted by Vicky | 18.08.08, 14:34 GMT
We could use it for the rowing regatta 2012 olymics.
Posted by noel | 18.08.08, 13:33 GMT
What happened to the drainage system that was put in place many years ago to stop flooding in this area. This used to go under the old roundabout. I am assuming that this is no longer there and the flooding is a result of this.
Posted by Puzzled | 18.08.08, 13:11 GMT
26 Comments