WET AND icy driving conditions caused major disruption on the roads yesterday evening.
AA Roadwatch said traffic had ground to a near standstill last night in the west and south of Dublin and it reported “serious delays” on the N7 route between Dublin and Naas, Co Kildare, and the M50 motorway in particular.
There were also considerable delays in Co Wicklow yesterday, where snow accumulations and slushy conditions were causing problems in Enniskerry and Glencree. Gardaí advised motorists to avoid the Wicklow and Sally Gap as both were impassable, while gardaí in Co Kilkenny reported very dangerous conditions on smaller regional roads.
Fewer traffic problems were reported in the west and south of the country. However, several schools were unable to open in Co Kerry yesterday morning following heavy overnight snow and ice.
Among the worst affected areas were the Kerry-Cork border, the northeast of the county and the high mountain passes of the Dingle peninsula.
In Northern Ireland, a £200,000 road gritting plan was put in place following heavy snow on Monday night. Only the highest roads and passes, particularly in counties Down and Armagh were affected and road users were not unduly hampered on their drive to work yesterday.
Train services in the North were badly hampered yesterday morning by a technical fault which brought down the radio communication system used by train drivers. The Belfast to Dublin Enterprise service was running, subject to delays, while travellers to Bangor, Larne, Portadown and Derry also suffered from disrupted services.
Iarnród Éireann said yesterday that the Dart line between Bray and Greystones will remain suspended for the remainder of the week following a rock-fall near the first tunnel on Bray Head earlier this week.