Ban on major roadworks in Cork City over festive season in bid to prevent traffic congestion

A ban on major road works in the heart of Cork City will come into effect within weeks in a bid to prevent chronic traffic congestion over the festive period.

Cork’s business leaders have also welcomed indications from garda bosses that, resource permitting, extra gardaí will be deployed at key pinch-points in a bid to keep traffic moving.

The news emerged after a meeting between members of the Cork Business Association (CBA), senior gardaí and city officials in the wake of chronic congestion in the city centre last month.

The problem was caused by several factors, including simultaneous road traffic accidents which combined with a number of major road work projects on strategic access roads which combined to grind traffic to a halt. That, combined with a surge in city centre traffic volumes to almost pre-boom levels, has brought the city’s road network to near capacity.

In the wake of the chronic congestion, the CBA sought a meeting with senior city officials and gardaí in a bid to ensure that traffic would be kept moving during the lead-in to Christmas.

CBA chief executive, Lawrence Owens, said they now have confirmation that the annual moratorium which applies to works on streets and roads in the city centre area and on arterial routes will come into effect on November 26, and will remain in place until January 9.

All works including related reinstatements will have to be completed by November 25.

“This will ensure that, emergency works aside, absolutely no road works will take place in the city during the stated period November 26 to January 9,” Mr Owens said.

“We also requested an increase in the garda presence in key pinch-point areas — particularly in the morning — to ensure better and more orderly traffic flow.”

He said they highlighted specific locations including the junctions at the Colosseum, Brian Boru and Clontarf Bridges, as well as the junction opposite 1 Albert Quay and The Sextant.

“Obviously there are more junctions than those named that are prone to congestion. However the knock-on effect of congestion at these named junctions is more acutely felt throughout the city.”

He said gardaí have agreed, resource permitting, to have an additional garda presence in these areas particularly on the key days when traffic is at its heaviest: “Simply by having gardaí in the area ensures better compliance with traffic regulations — for example observing yellow boxes — and hopefully better movement.”

Meanwhile, Olympic rowing heroes Paul and Gary O’Donovan from West Cork, will kick off the city’s official countdown to Christmas by switching on the Christmas lights on St Patrick’s Street on Sunday, November 13. The event will begin at 6.30pm with music from the Academy of Popular Music, with the official switch-on of the lights taking place around 7.15pm.

The CBA and the city council have encouraged people to visit the city and to shop locally in the lead-up to Christmas.

The hugely successful Glow, A Cork Christmas, will open on the Grand Parade on November 25.

For full details see corkchristmascelebration.ie

Countdown

• Road works ban from November 26-January 9.
• Garda presence on key junctions including MacCurtain StSummer Hill, Brian Boru and Clontarf Bridges, and 1 Albert Quay and The Sextant.
• Christmas lights switch-on November 13.
• Glow opens on Grand Parade on November 25.