M50 traffic diversions

A new traffic layout at the Red Cow roundabout outside Dublin comes into place tomorrow. Announcing the changes yesterday, South Dublin County Council also said that the upgrade of the N4 interchange with the M50 in Dublin would be completed within 10 weeks.

The council said that rebuilding the Red Cow interchange was on schedule for completion by August next, at which point phase one of the M50 upgrade - the busiest, western section of the motorway - will be complete.

However, more roadworks are to get under way later this year on the removal of the traffic light- controlled Newlands Cross junction close to the Red Cow. The works, expected to last two more years, will see the N7 rise "on stilts" across the junction.

The Red Cow changes will introduce traffic light-free movements on a number of junctions at the complex interchange.

Specifically:

• Two lanes of traffic will be provided for eastbound traffic from the N7 to the M50 south and north. When approaching the Monastery Lane traffic lights drivers should use the N7 inner lane for the M50 north; and the N7 middle lane for the M50 south.

• Two lanes will be provided for traffic coming from the N7 and heading for the city and the Luas depot. When approaching the Monastery Lane signals, drivers should take the N7 middle and outside lanes for the city, and the outer lane only for the Luas Park and Ride depot.

• Traffic from Monastery Road to the city will be diverted on to a new freeflow bridge from where it will merge with the N7 inbound traffic.

• Traffic moving from Monastery Road to the M50 south and north will be directed on to the new freeflow overbridge from where it will access the M50 for both north and southbound movements. However the M50 northbound traffic from Monastery Road will have to first travel south on the M50 to the Ballymount junction where it may turn north.

South Dublin County Council's senior engineer John McLoughlin said drivers should slow down when using the revised layout. He said roadworks speed limits were routinely ignored by drivers.