A4 Eglish Road roundabout, near Dungannon

 

Status
Construction scheme (completed)
Where
To replace a busy T-junction on the A4 with a roundabout, including 0.5 miles of westbound overtaking lane.
Total Length
Approx 0.8 km / 0.5 miles
Dates

Scheme proposed ca 2001
Opened to traffic Sep 2004
Roundabout removed summer 2010

Cost
Approx £1.0m
Photos
See below
Contractor
McFadden Building and Civil Engineering (Omagh)
See Also

Map of area (note roundabout does not exist any longer)

The junction of the main A4 with the B45 Eglish Road, near Dungannon, was highlighted around 2001 has being "close to capacity" and having a "higher than average" accident rate. It was therefore decided to upgrade the capacity and safety of the junction by adding a roundabout. The opportunity was also taken to add a 0.5 mile overtaking lane westbound, ie away from the roundabout in the direction of Ballygawley. This work was carried out during 2004 and the junction was completed in September.

The junction gained notoriety in June 2007 as the scene of an infamous robbery in which a GAA official was beaten and tens of thousands of pounds were taken from his car.

These screenshots from Google StreetView show how the junction looked:

f
Google StreetView of Eglish Road roundabout in March 2009, looking west.

Google StreetView of the westbound overtaking lane seen from the Eglish Road roundabout in August 2008.

Removal of the Roundabout

This junction turned out to be one of the shortest-lived road improvements of recent years. Just six years after completion, the roundabout was removed as part of the major scheme to convert the A4 to dual-carriageway from Dungannon to Ballygawley. Although this scheme had been in planning for some years, the decision to finally proceed was not taken until construction of Eglish Road roundabout was actually underway. The dualling scheme involved replacing the roundabout with a compact grade separated junction with a flyover. So comprehensively did this work obliterate all traces of Eglish Road roundabout that this web page may be its only legacy in years to come. These photographs below were taken from the flyover and show the final days of the roundabout in the summer of 2010:


View westbound from the new Eglish Road flyover showing the dual-carriageway taking shape but with the Eglish Road roundabout still in place. 11 July 2010. [John Troy]

The same view on 24 Oct 2010, and the Eglish Road roundabout has disappeared. Note that the curve in the embankment on the right, created for the roundabout, has actually been filled in again. [John Troy]