PSNI closed part of Manse Road in east Belfast on Friday evening after a security alert centred on Cregagh Glen, and Belfast Live says motorists and members of the public should stay away from the area. The closure affected the road at its junctions with Garland Hill and Church Road.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Motorists and members of the public should avoid the area at present.” That advice applies to people trying to use the road network around the Glen, where the closure has cut off access through the affected stretch.
Cregagh Glen and Manse Road
The alert centred on part of Cregagh Glen, which runs between Manse Road and Upper Knockbredagh Road. Part of Cregagh Glen is managed by Belfast City Council, while the stretch close to Manse Road is owned by the National Trust.
That mix of public access and managed land explains why the closure reaches beyond one road junction. When officers cordon off a route in that area, drivers approaching from Garland Hill or Church Road have to turn back rather than work around the scene.
Friday evening closure
The Friday evening timing left the disruption to build quickly around the road closed in the Manse Road area. For people trying to travel through east Belfast, the practical step is simple: avoid the area and use another route until police lift the restriction.
The latest alert also sits against an older pattern at the same location. In 2022, a walker in Cregagh Glen reported a suspicious object, and police eventually recovered seven handguns in the area after a search.
Earlier searches in east Belfast
Police also recovered 16 handguns and over 800 rounds of ammunition in east Belfast in 2013. With that history in the background, the current alert is not just a short traffic problem; it is a police search in a place already linked to weapons finds.
The question now is straightforward for anyone heading that way: stay clear of Manse Road, Garland Hill, Church Road and the Glen while PSNI keeps the area closed.
