6 August 2026

SDLP North Belfast Councillor Carl Whyte has said there can be no repeat of the traffic gridlock seen during maintenance work on the M3 over the last two years.

Maintenance is to begin on the M3 Lagan Bridge from 14th August and will continue for three weekends with lane closures and other restrictions.

Councillor Carl Whyte said:

“Over the last two years we saw utter chaos on roads around North and East Belfast during maintenance work to the M3 Lagan Bridge. The Infrastructure Minister and her department failed to properly inform of the public of lane closures and we saw gridlock and tailbacks leaving people travelling into and out of Belfast waiting hours to get to their destinations.

“This is a busy road at the best of times, never mind weekends at the height of summer. During the closures there should be additional public transport provision, and a clear plan from DfI and the police to manage the increase in congestion. This is important work which should be carried out without huge inconvenience to the public and leaving roads at a standstill.

“There can be no repeat of previous scenes this year and I am calling on the Minister and her department to implement a proper public awareness campaign to ensure that people know what to expect and are prepared for the upcoming roadworks. The last thing we want is more frustration, delays and negative knock-on effects for travellers and local businesses."