'Elated but frustrated' our road has reopened after 20 months

A man living in the Glens of Antrim says "there's a certain amount of elation but a certain amount of frustration" that a road which closed 20 months ago has reopened.

A landslide closed the Glenshesk Road between Ballycastle and Armoy in March 2024.

A large section of the road broke away and slid down the side of a steep valley after bad weather conditions, resulting in a 20-minute detour for some residents.

Frankie McBride, a part-time farmer, welcomed the reopening but said "it should never have taken this length of time".

The Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said she was "very mindful of the impact the closure has had".

"I would like to thank residents, local businesses and commuters for their patience while this essential maintenance work was carried out," she said.

"I would also like to acknowledge all those who helped to deliver this significant infrastructure project."

Given the severity of the damage, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said a significant engineering solution was required.

Work began in March and, while the road has reopened to motorists this week, one lane remains closed while final works are being completed.

DfI said it anticipates it will be completed in December, but that is weather dependent.

Mr McBride said he calculated that he drove an extra 2,500 miles during the 20 months that the road was closed.

"It's been an extra 12 -13 miles twice a day... on my journey every day going to work," he said.

"We have other people here with children in school in Armoy that were doing two or three runs right round. It's been a big inconvenience."

Mr McBride said it was "frustrating" and added extra length, time and expense to people's journeys.

"The cattle market is on the far side of the slide so to come from here I have to do a five mile journey in to Ballycastle then six or seven miles out of Ballycastle from the far side into Armoy," he added.

"We have farmers here that have ground on both sides of the slide... specially in lambing time... they were having to come that journey five or six times a day."

Sinn Féin assembly member Philip McGuigan said both he and the local residents would have preferred the road "hadn't taken so long to be reopened".

But added he understood it was "a major engineering piece of work" by the DfI.

"We're along the side of a mountain here and this was a major landslide. For me the important thing is that the road is reopened and reopened safely," he said.

Mr McGuigan said family routines were "knocked out of kilter" over the past 20 months.

"It was meaning children were having to get alternative arrangements for going to schools in either Ballycastle or Armoy. It was meaning farmers taking a 20 or 30 minute journey for a journey which would previously have taken 5 minutes," he said.

"I clearly understand their frustrations and I think they will be delighted, as I am that the Glenshesk road has finally reopened.

"Normal life will get back for the people of this road and that has to be welcomed."