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A number of community organisations in Silverbridge has raised serious concerns about road safety at the Ford's Cross junction, warning that without urgent intervention there is a real risk of a serious or fatal collision. Currently lighting in the area is non-existent and road markings aren't present meaning anyone driving from Newry direction who didn't know the road could easily drive over the junction.
Silverbridge GFC, the South Armagh Business Improvement Group, The Road Ahead NI, and Happy Faces Day Care have jointly raised the issue and have conducted a comprehensive community survey, engaging with 748 residents, as part of the GAA Healthy Clubs initiative to better understand the dangers at the junction.
No lighting or road markings
Survey comments are a damming indictment of the state of the road. One respondent said: "The turn offs are not visible due to no lighting or road markings, we live here so have an idea where to turn of in the dark but visitors wont know and wont see the roads as there are no longer cats eyes or white lines, as they have all worn away and are now just pot holes"
Another respondent: "Family friends lost their life at this junction, family members have been involved in accidents where other drivers who do not know the road have drove straight out and hit them side on, at full speed. I walk the club grounds and the amount of near misses and hits I witness weekly is astonishing"
The crossroads is an extremely busy location. Another commented "Giving the junctions proximity to a local crèche and pre school, after school club, GAA club something seriously needs done with this junction before further accidents take place. At this point the onus is on the Local Authority to accept the risks this junction poses and put in place the appropriate measures to mitigate against these risks and manage them appropriately. It is simply not acceptable to ignore the number of accidents at this junction in recent years."
Ford's Cross is a staggered crossroads with a number of significant safety deficiencies. Rumble strips have worn away, road markings and cat's eyes are unclear, signage is inadequate, and there is no street lighting. The junction also serves as the location for the main electricity hub and telecommunications switchboard for the surrounding area, meaning maintenance vehicles are present on a daily basis, restricting visibility and adding to congestion at an already hazardous crossing point.
Although official NISRA statistics record collisions at the site, local residents report frequent near misses and incidents that go unreported, suggesting the true level of risk is considerably higher than the figures indicate.
The junction sits at the heart of a wide rural catchment area, serving a combined population of nearly 3000 people from Crossmaglen, Silverbridge, Glassdrummond, Dorsey, and Cullyhanna. Within a four-mile radius, it provides access to three primary schools, two post-primary schools, and multiple early years settings, representing over 1,600 children and young people, along with hundreds of staff and daily school transport movements. Peak morning and afternoon traffic adds further pressure to the already busy crossing.
Silverbridge GFC, which is located directly at the junction, adds to traffic volumes throughout the day. The club hosts youth sport, adult fitness classes, cultural programmes, and childcare services, generating a constant flow of vehicles, families, and pedestrians.
While planned resurfacing works in the area have been welcomed by community representatives, they have stressed that surface improvements alone will not resolve the hazards present at the junction.
The Road Ahead NI, a charity supporting those affected by road traffic incidents, has emphasised the importance of prevention and the lifelong impact collisions can have on individuals and families.
A spokesperson for the group said: "This is not simply a matter of infrastructure, it is about protecting lives within our community, particularly our children and young people. There is a strong and unified local voice calling for action. We cannot afford to wait for a serious incident before action is taken. Prevention must be prioritised."
The organisations are calling on the Department for Infrastructure to undertake a full safety assessment of the junction, review the need for traffic control measures such as traffic lights or a redesign of the crossing, improve road markings, signage, and visibility, install adequate street lighting, and engage directly with the local community.
The group has said it is willing to meet with the Department for Infrastructure to present its findings and work towards practical solutions to improve safety at Ford's Cross.
Check out other findings in the Survey at Fords Cross Road Safety Survey
