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Bomb alert affects M2, M3 and Westlink traffic Belfast bomb alert M2 and M3 motorways reopen
(40 minutes later)
Motorway traffic has been brought to a standstill in Belfast as the police investigate a car that has been abandoned under a road bridge. A security alert which brought motorway traffic to a standstill in Belfast has ended.
The M2, the M3 and the northbound carriageway of the Westlink have been closed, as have York Road, Dock Street, Brougham Street and Garmoyle Street. Police investigated a car that had been abandoned under a motorway bridge at Dock street.
It is the latest in a series of security alerts that have caused disruption across the city. The M2 and M3 were closed for a time but have now reopened. However, traffic in Belfast city centre is still severely disrupted.
Several of them have been declared hoaxes. PSNI Chief Superintendent. Alan Todd said police had dealt with 14 alerts across Northern Ireland on Friday.
Police are advising people travelling south towards Belfast on the M2 to leave the motorway at Fortwilliam Roundabout and travel along the Shore Road, Fortwilliam Park, Antrim Road and Clifton Street before rejoining the Westlink. He said it was a difficult situation but it was improving.
Those travelling north should use that route in reverse. A security alert on Belfast's Dock Street is now over, however Dock Street and York Road remain closed.
Stockmans Way off Stockmans Lane has now reopened after being closed due to a report of a suspicious object. The Sydenham Bypass heading west/north towards the M3 is tailed back onto the A2 Belfast Road at the Holywood Exchange. The Westlink heading north is tailed back to Broadway.
For traffic coming into Belfast on the M2, the situation has now eased.
A security alert on the Strand Road in Londonderry has now ended.
Several of the security alerts that have caused disruption across Belfast have been declared hoaxes.
Stockmans Way off Stockmans Lane was reopened after being closed due to a report of a suspicious object.
It was declared an elaborate hoax.It was declared an elaborate hoax.
Another alert in the Royal Avenue area of Belfast has ended. A number of people had to leave a shopping centre, but nothing was found in a police search. A number of people had to leave a shopping centre, during another alert in the Royal Avenue area of Belfast, but nothing was found in a police search.
There were also three bomb alerts in Newtownabbey which were all hoaxes.There were also three bomb alerts in Newtownabbey which were all hoaxes.
A suspicious device found at Finaghy Road North in Belfast near the railway line also turned out to be a hoax.A suspicious device found at Finaghy Road North in Belfast near the railway line also turned out to be a hoax.