Oops! Contractors return to burn white road markings from 'Game of Thrones' road
Contractors who painted road markings on an iconic tree-lined avenue made famous by TV show Game Of Thrones have returned to burn them off again.
Lovers of the famous Dark Hedges were left aghast when a broken white line appeared on the atmospheric tourist attraction in Co Antrim.
The road workers tasked to resurface the narrow thoroughfare had mistakenly added the markings. They hastily undid their handiwork today.
It was the second misfortune to befall the Dark Hedges in recent weeks. At the end of January a number of the trees came down in Storm Gertrude.
The beech trees were planted in the 18th century by a local family, the Stuarts, with the intent of creating a grand entrance to their nearby Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.
Already one of the most photographed natural landmarks on the island of Ireland, the avenue recently achieved global prominence after it appeared on the hit HBO series.
The Dark Hedges featured in Season Two of the award-winning TV hit.
Much of Game Of Thrones is shot in Northern Ireland, either on location or in studios in Belfast.
The Dark Hedges and other locations featured in the series have seen visitor numbers surge due to the growing popularity of Game Of Thrones tourist tours.
Game of Thrones trees: Watch as white lines at Dark Hedges are removed after being painted by contractors in errorhttps://t.co/IjnU8RKqOl
— BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) February 10, 2016
A spokeswoman for Stormont’s Department of Regional Development (DRD) said today: “Following completion of a small resurfacing scheme along a 200m stretch of the Bregagh Road at the Dark Hedges, the white lining at the junction with the Ballinlea Road was extended in error.
“The contractor was instructed to remove the line and the white lining was burned off earlier today. The repair work was completed at 1.30pm this afternoon.
“Whilst there is the potential for some residual marking to the carriageway as a result of the removal, we are confident that, given the time of year and the number of vehicles using the Bregagh Road, that any such marks will disappear soon.
“DRD will continue to monitor the condition of the surface over the coming weeks, and will take further action to repair the road if necessary.”
