A consultation has been launched on plans to remove a turning lane from the north’s oldest dual carriageway.
The Department for Infrastructure is seeking views on a stopping-up order that will see the turning lane on the Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast removed “for road safety purposes”.
The lane is close to an old entrance to Belfast City Airport.
The stopping-up order states two stretches of road that make up the turning pocket - including a 57.5 metre stretch on the city-bound lane and a 10.5 metre length on the county-bound lane - “are not necessary for road traffic”.
The turning lane is close to the pedestrian entrance to Sydenham Railway Station and beside the Sydenham foot bridge.
The consultation opened last Wednesday and will close on October 21.
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “The Stopping up on the Sydenham Bypass is for a right turn pocket, which allows southbound traffic on the bypass to turn across the northbound carriageway. This right turn pocket provided access to the original entrance to Belfast City Airport.
“When the airport was redeveloped, a new signalised junction into the airport was opened further along the carriageway.”
They added: “The closure of this right turn pocket is for road safety purposes. The Stopping up is not closing off the lay-by close to Belfast City Airport and adjacent to Sydenham Train Station.”
The Sydenham Bypass is one of Belfast’s busiest roads, and previous works have led to traffic chaos for motorists.