Traffic mayhem this Friday?

racram

Anyone know if the four lanes on the Bridge will be closed for the full four hours this Friday for the Tour of Ireland Cycling race? Have organised a mini bus and was planning to leave Waterford at 3pm to head to New Ross by 4pm, now it looks impossible??:(

kensutz

I can easily say you won't get to New Ross via the bridge at that time. The whole road is shut down at 1pm and won't re-open until 4:30pm. Best bet is to get the ferry from Passage and go that way but traffic may be chaotic there too.

racram

Yes, I'm looking into that route. It's added another €60 to the cost of the bus with the ferry cost and added miles but seems our only option!:mad:

Stokolan

beating to it :P

This is the route its coming in and depending on the weather they will start reaching the finish anytime from 2:30 to 3:30.

Id try for the passage route or head out via Fidown maybe?

mike65

Roll on the bypass.

gscully

racram wrote: »

Yes, I'm looking into that route. It's added another €60 to the cost of the bus with the ferry cost and added miles but seems our only option!:mad:

I'm assuming that the bridge will still be open? If that's the case, you could get the driver to head to Mullinavat, and then take the turn signposted for Listerlin - that should bring you to New Ross.

kensutz

Listerlin will be closed for a while too while they go through it.

mike65

http://www.tourofireland.ie/stage1.php

Why close down so early?

kensutz

Security etc

gscully

kensutz wrote: »

Listerlin will be closed for a while too while they go through it.

Will it be fully closed, or a stop/go system?

kensutz

Shouldn't be fully closed but there's no set time as to when we'll pass through. Last year there was strong winds which kept roads closed for more than an hour past the scheduled time.

honeybadger

is crossing the fiddown bridge and making your way to ross from there an option ? it will make your journey longer but at least you will get to save the ferry fee

mike65

The link road between Mullinavat and New Ross will be restricted.

Aquos76

kensutz wrote: »

I can easily say you won't get to New Ross via the bridge at that time. The whole road is shut down at 1pm and won't re-open until 4:30pm. Best bet is to get the ferry from Passage and go that way but traffic may be chaotic there too.

May not actually be the case Ken, I would imagine that the whole bridge will only be closed when the race is only minutes away, and the outbound lane of the ferrybank dual carriageway will remain open and the only disruptions there will be when the riders actually come down rockshire road. This is also the belief of Waterford Gardai. The quay is been shut down from 1pm but not the whole bridge. The OP may be ok if they leave it until about 3.30 to start their journey, all be it in very heavy traffic.

kensutz

Actually that's true. They might divert everyone up Summerhill. I suppose when they hit Mullinavat (estimated: 14:20) then they'll start closing roads or halting traffic.

racram

Thanks for the replies. I put an email into the city council, not sure if I'll get my answer there. I think my only option is the ferry.

Aquos76

racram wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I put an email into the city council, not sure if I'll get my answer there. I think my only option is the ferry.

Waterford Gardai will be issuing a press release to WLRfm on Wednesday morning with all road closures and times if that's any good to you.

Sully

racram wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I put an email into the city council, not sure if I'll get my answer there. I think my only option is the ferry.

If you dont get a reply, send me a PM and I will try get an answer for you.

Adyx

If it's anything like last year it will be a disaster. We were coming back from a staff getaway in Limerick and got stuck almost at the bridge for nearly an hour and a half (~1 hr before they got to the bridge and 30 mins after they crossed). Fair enough we were 4 very hungover barstaff and some of us had to work that night but I can honestly say it was the worst thing to ever happen in the history of the Universe. :D

baronflyguy

I agree with Adyx. I got caught in it last year and it took me an hour and half to get into the city from ferrybank. Traffic came to a crawl and most of the time was not moving. This was between 1pm and 2.30pm.
What was suppose to take me a 40 min lunch break ended up taking me 2 1/2 hour lunch break.
I thought they could have done with more garda freeing up junctions to keep the flow moving.

W1llz0rz

I think that's absolutely ridiculous. What's the point in disrupting the main route in and out of Waterford for a stupid bike race?

I mean fair play to all the lads for doing it and all that, but closing the bridge for 4 hours is so flipping incredibly stupid.

Things like this absolutely wreck my head. At least leave one lane open and put in temporary lights or something. Do a few people on bikes really need 4 lanes!??

Only in Ireland, eh?

Cabaal

W1llz0rz wrote: »

I think that's absolutely ridiculous. What's the point in disrupting the main route in and out of Waterford for a stupid bike race?

Yeah it a really bad idea, much the same way as closing the quays for the tallships sure its only a few boats :rolleyes:

Yes its a disruption but if you want events in Waterford then you have to deal with this type of thing, if you don't want events in Waterford then in years to come you can complain about why nothing ever happens in Waterford.

People should be happen they are passing through Waterford, in fairness its only for 4-5 hours of disruptions that's not alot in the scale of things

kensutz

It's only the quay affected for most of the day. Traffic will be diverted up Summerhill. The bridge etc will be closed when the riders approach within 10k or so. Like a rolling road block for all the world.

mike65

Details as published in WT

The Quay
1pm - 4 pm - Bridge St to Lombard St including side streets between.

Dock Road
2.30- 3.30 - Traffic lights to bridge

Rockshire Road
2.30-3.30 - top of Rockshire to dual carraigway.

JohnC.

What about the actual bridge? Any chance of them closing half the bridge for the race and having one lane each way on the other side? Wasn't that what they did for the Tall Ships? Though that did go on much longer so couldn't be totally closed.

kensutz

It certainly wouldn't suit the riders as there is only 1km to go and it's a sprint finish.

JPA

So is this over and back to normal yet?

Stokolan

The race is finished so some of the traffic should be getting back to normal. Im not sure about the Quay tho as I was there.

Also heres a few pics I managed to snap. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stokolan/sets/72157622102028318/