Traffic warning after city centre road system revamp
MOTORISTS have been warned to expect a huge increase in traffic after the holidays following a revamp of Dublin city’s road system yesterday,
AA Roadwatch said that the city could expect “significant changes” in traffic as holidaymakers returned to the country.
Private motorists were barred from taking a right turn across O’Connell Bridge from the quays from yesterday. General traffic has also been reduced to one lane from Upper Ormond Quay to Eden Quay on the northside, and from the Rosie Hackett Bridge to Wellington Quay on the southside.
A member of An Garda Síochána managed traffic at the junction on Monday morning, informing drivers of the changes.
A Garda spokesperson said they were “monitoring the new system as they would any other new traffic layout” but “nothing
unusual” had resulted from the new plan.
Conor Faughnan, director of consumer affairs at AA Roadwatch, said that although traffic was minimal yesterday, “we will only truly know what the impact will be in the autumn”.
Despite no big change to the level of traffic on the quays, Mr Faughnan said there was a “higher than usual level of traffic” on the North Circular Road which may have been caused by the revamp.
“We’re just coming up to the end of August now and when people will come back from holidays and that, we will see the real impact,” he said.
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council’s Traffic Department said bus journeys had been reduced 40pc as a result of the new system.
The city council said the changes were being introduced to reduce delays experienced by public transport users, and to ensure that Luas Cross City would be subject to minimal delays.
Head of technical services Brendan O’Brien said the changes would allow freer movement of public transport.
“Additional bus lanes will alleviate the difficulties faced by public transport on the quays, where the worst delays for buses in the city are experienced,” he said. “At the peak morning time of 8am to 9am, over 7,000 people travel along the north quays on buses.”