Price to pedestrianise Belfast’s Hill Street at least triple ‘anticipated costs’

Hill Street, in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, was made into a pedestrianised zone between two junctions at the start of December, barring most vehicles from entering the majority of the cobbled thoroughfare. It has now emerged that costs to date for the scheme have at least tripled, with the true figure likely “significantly more”. Vehicles on Hill Street after the new traffic control scheme was introduced in December PICTURE: @SSTRAWBRIDGE/XThe DfI has said barriers were not installed so that blue badge holders could continue to be dropped off and picked up on Hill Street. Last April, speaking of the price tag to pedestrianize the street, infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins said that although a detailed estimate had yet to be determined, “anticipated costs are likely to be in the region of £5,000″. In response to a Freedom of Information request by Cllr Smyth, the costs to date are at least three times that estimation.