Traffic havoc after four pile-ups

Commuters and freight traffic suffered major disruption yesterday after four separate pile-ups closed sections of the M50, N11 and N6 roads.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, are investigating a fatal road traffic collision between a car and a lorry yesterday evening at Davis Road Clonmel on the Waterford to Clonmel Road. The woman driver of the car died and a woman passenger was seriously injured.

The worst of the disruption yesterday involved an oil tanker, two lorries and a car at the Red Cow junction on Dublin's M50 just before noon yesterday. The southbound carriageway was closed for more than four hours as gardaí diverted traffic and emergency services attended the scene.

Fire officers worked for two hours to cut one of the drivers from a vehicle. Gardaí described the driver's injuries as "very serious".

They said the collision was considered to be the scene of a crime - a factor that complicated the reopening of the road. Another factor had been an oil spillage which prevented the road opening until sand and grit had been sprayed on it. There was no access to the M50 southbound from any of the junctions between the M1 and the Red Cow for four hours, except for a small section which gardaí opened between the Finglas and Blanchardstown junctions to ease congestion in Finglas.

Some of the worst congestion was reported around Blanchardstown with tail backs from the M50 almost to Mulhuddart. AA Roadwatch advised drivers heading towards the M50 to divert as soon as possible but severe congestion was reported on all local roads around the M50 from the airport to the N7 junction. Gardaí said the northbound carriageway remained open throughout, but traffic was very slow due to drivers "rubber-necking".

Just as the gardaí were preparing to reopen the M50 at 4pm, another crash occurred when a car crossed the median barrier on the N11 at Belfield, reducing outbound traffic to one lane for about 40 minutes.

Gardaí said at least five vehicles had been involved in the crash but added that no fatalities had been reported and delays stretched back only as far as Nutley Lane.

Earlier yesterday the N11 was also the scene of a multi-vehicle pile-up as the morning rush was disrupted by a four-car crash on the northbound carriageway at Old Connaugh Avenue, close to the Bray (north) exit.

The disruption led to a six-mile tail-back through Kilmacanogue to the Glen o' the Downs at the height of the morning peak. Gardaí said the road was cleared shortly after 9am.Another multi-vehicle crash which closed the N6 Dublin to Galway road at Moate Co Westmeath, for about two hours yesterday morning was cleared just before noon.

Conor Faughnan of the AA said there appeared to be nothing to connect the crashes: "There doesn't seem to be any over-arching cause" he said, "just a particularly bad, black Monday".