DUBLIN CITY centre will be effectively off limits to private cars this evening and tomorrow as roads will be closed for the Bavaria City Racing motor sports event.
With large crowds in the city for other events, including two Leinster senior football quarter-finals at Croke Park tomorrow, gardaí are urging people to leave their cars at home and, where possible, to use public transport tonight and tomorrow.
Traffic restrictions will come into force for the Bavaria racing event from 6pm today as the route for the racing cars is cordoned off. The route, which starts on North Wall Quay and ends on O’Connell Bridge via the Custom House and College Green, is 2.6km long. Some 11.1km of barriers will line the route and five pedestrian walkways – to be constructed this evening and throughout the night – will be built over the route.
As a result, the conventional routes through the city centre will be off limits to GAA fans going to and from Croke Park tomorrow.
Supt Seán Ward of Store Street Garda station said people travelling through Dublin needed to plan ahead carefully and ensure they allowed additional time.
“For people travelling to the north side from the south, we would be suggesting that they use the M50 orbital route and access Croke Park, for instance, from the N1, N2 and N3,” he said.
The main traffic restrictions include:
- Burgh Quay and George's Quay will be closed from 6pm today until 5.30am on Monday;
- Custom House Quay and North Wall Quay will be closed from 6pm today until 9am on Monday;
- The following streets will be closed from 7pm today until 5.30am on Monday: O'Connell Bridge, Westmoreland Street, D'Olier Street, College Street, College Green, Dame Street (College Green to South Great George's Street), Wellington Quay, Crampton Quay and Aston Quay.
- From 6am to 8pm tomorrow, both Samuel Beckett Bridge and Talbot Memorial Bridge will be closed to traffic, while Butt Bridge will be closed from the earlier time of 5am and will reopen at 8pm.
Diversions will be in place all around the motor event and gardaí have urged drivers to avoid the city centre as much as possible.