THE last shopping weekend before Christmas is expected to cause widespread traffic delays and parking difficulties in Dublin city.
Operation Freeflow continues, during which gardai are seeking to eliminate illegally-parked cars, ensuring that bus lanes and clearways are not obstructed.
Parking on Henry Street is allowed only between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. while no parking will be allowed on South King Street until January 1st.
Delays are expected around the Point Depot tonight and tomorrow between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. due to the Russian Ballet.
In Cork, due to bridge construction work, the western and eastern sections of the Dunkettle roundabout at the southern end of the Glanmire by-pass will be closed to traffic from today until January 2nd.
Roadworks continue on the Modelfarm Road and there is no entry from Lapps Quay to Parnell Place until after Christmas. There is also no entry to Maylor Street from Patrick Street between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
In Galway, there are roadworks on the N17 in Claregalway and on the Carnmore Road to the airport.
In Limerick, delays will be caused by roadworks on the Raheen Road at the regional hospital.
In Meath, roadworks and temporary lights, three miles outside Dunshaughlin, will hold up traffic on the Dublin/Navan Road.
Information supplied by AA Roadwatch.
RAIL
More than 40 special trains are operating over Christmas to cater for more than 200,000 commuters.
A Christmas/New Year ticket at a reduced fare is available on most routes, valid between December 24th and January 2nd. Full details of alterations during the holidays are available from all Iarnrod Eireann stations and offices.
DART
Tomorrow, the capacity of DART trains will be increased to cater for Christmas shoppers while on Sunday the frequency will double between noon and 6.30 p.m. DART services on Christmas Eve will terminate earlier with the last through trains at 8.55 p.m. from Howth to Bray and 8.45 p.m. from Bray to Howth.
There will be no DART on December 25th or 26th but on the 27th normal services will operate to a Saturday schedule.
BUSES
Normal services will operate up to and including Christmas Eve when some routes to and from Dublin, and city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, will terminate earlier.
The Nitelink runs from Dublin city centre at midnight, 1 a.m., 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. every night until January 4th, except Sundays and December 24th and 25th.
Normal services in Dublin will operate until Tuesday when last buses will leave the city at 9 p.m.
Special buses for the Navan races tomorrow leave Busarus one-and-a-half hours before the first race. Return tickets at £6 can be booked in advance.
AIR
Airlines have scheduled additional flights over the Christmas period, including Aer Lingus, 60 extra; British Midlands, 145 extra; Ryanair, 300 extra.