Cork motorists set to face significant diversion during 24-hour road closure

Drivers approaching Cork city centre from Waterford, Youghal, Midleton and Cobh will experience a major diversion tomorrow

A section of N25/N8 on the westbound approach to the Dunkettle roundabout will close from 7.30pm on Friday to around 9pm on Saturday

Tens of thousands of motorists travelling from Midleton to Cork city will face a significant diversion during a major 24-hour road closure this weekend linked to the nearby Dunkettle interchange project.

A section of N25/N8 on the westbound approach to the Dunkettle roundabout will close from 7.30pm on Friday to around 9pm on Saturday to facilitate the renewal of the bridge deck waterproofing on two new structures built in recent months as part of the interchange upgrade — the Dunkettle River bridge and the overbridge crossing the Cork to Cobh/Midleton railway line.

Workers must remove all surfacing layers and expose the original concrete bridge deck in order to carry out the works, which are being carried under night-time and weekend working in order to minimise disruption to traffic.

“Significant resources are being mobilised for these works in order to ensure that both bridges can be advanced significantly over this single weekend, to avoid a requirement for a second temporary road closure,” a spokesman for the project said.

A number of alternative routes are available, and the diversion route along the N40 to the Kinsale Road roundabout will be signposted via the N40.

Similar waterproofing works have already been completed on the N8/N25 eastbound on both of these structures.

Engineers have also announced that a number of additional new links are due to open in June, as the project moves towards overall completion, which is expected by next February.

It comes as the South Ring Road was closed overnight to facilitate the installation of a pedestrian bridge.

The bridge, which was prefabricated off-site and delivered to the site in recent weeks, is hoisted from the hard shoulder of the eastbound N40 carriageway and swung into place by engineers from Jons Civil Engineering.

Once opened later in the summer, the pedestrian bridge will connect the massive city park on the northern side of the N40 to the Grange Road, on the southern side, via a new footpath and cycleway.

A separate Part 8 planning process is underway in relation to the proposed development of a spur off the pathway to connect it to the Alden Estate, on the southern side of the N40.