Major traffic increase on roads around Dublin break 2019 records

The main roads in and out of Dublin are showing a major increase in traffic numbers over the past day-and-a-half, with traffic volumes ahead of record numbers for 2019, in some cases.

As reports of a likely Level 3 lockdown spread in Dublin on Thursday, traffic numbers increased significantly on all the main roads, as monitored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

On the N11 just south of the M50, passing Bray, Co Wicklow, TII has anticipated annual average daily traffic for 2020 to be around 53,308 vehicles. This is down from a figure of 70,392 for annual average daily traffic in 2019, a feature believed to be a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, on Thursday the number of vehicles passing TII’s counter at Bray amounted to 71,979 - ahead of the record annual average daily traffic figures seen in 2019. By midday on Friday there were 5,203 vehicles per hour using the route.

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On the N7 between Newlands Cross and Kingswood junction, the anticipated annual average daily traffic for 2020 is 76,098, down from a figure of 101,838 in 2019. However, the number of vehicles using the route on Thursday amounted to 103,085 - another record for the route. On Friday at midday, 6,652 vehicles were passing TII’s counter.

At Liffey Valley on the N4, the projected annual average daily traffic for 2020 is 79,498, which compares to 105,657 in 2019, again the reduction is believed to be due to the corona virus pandemic. On Thursday, the number of vehicles passing Liffey Valley amounted to 103,996 . On Friday, the number of vehicles passing Liffey Valley at midday was 6,131 per hour.

At Blanchardstown on the N3, the expected annual average daily traffic this year will be 60,184, according to TII’s figures. This compares to 78,665 vehicles in 2019. On Thursday, 78,954 vehicles used the route, another record - but only just. On Friday at midday, the number of vehicles passing the Liffey Valley on the N3 amounted to 4,960 per hour.

Between the M50 and Dublin Airport on the M1, the anticipated annual average daily traffic for 2020 is 92,555, compared with 138,084 for 2019. On Thursday the number of vhicles passing TII’s counter was 112,451. The hourly flow at midday on Friday was 7,201 vehicles.

Traffic volumes on most Irish roads have also risen significantly in the last week as children returned to school, new figures from TII show.

Figures for the morning rush hour, between 7am and 10am, show traffic is up by between 4 and 16 per cent on the busiest routes in the country in comparison with the previous Monday.