A chaotic weekend lies ahead for Dublin motorists, with the most extensive series of road closures ever seen by the city in force for Le Grand Depart.
The operation began last night with the closure of O'Connell Street to through traffic until 5 p.m. on Sunday to facilitate the erection of a technical village.
Access to Lower O'Connell Street will be permitted from Bachelors Walk to Abbey Street. Access to Upper O'Connell Street will be permitted from Parnell Street to Cathal Brugha Street.
Phoenix Park will be closed to vehicular traffic between 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 p.m. on Sunday. Car-parking facilities for race spectators are available at Castleknock College, Phoenix Park racecourse and St John Bosco National School, Navan Road.
Buses:
Many Bus Eireann services in the Dublin, Cork and Waterford areas will be cancelled or diverted from today until Monday. There may also be unforeseen delays, and Bus Eireann cannot guarantee the normal advertised connections.
Today:
Parking is not permitted along the prologue route from 6 a.m.
From midnight, College Green, Westmoreland Street, D'Olier Street and Lower Grafton Street will be closed to vehicular traffic. Northbound traffic to Dublin Airport should use the East Link Bridge.
Buses:
Buses on the Dublin/Ashbourne route will run via Gardiner Street from a temporary terminus at Lower Abbey Street today, Saturday and Sunday.
Tomorrow (prologue):
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. traffic will be prevented from entering the north city area bordered by Beresford Place, Eden Quay, Gardiner Street, Dorset Street, Bolton Street, North King Street, Church Street, Inns Quay, Ormond Quay, Bachelors Walk, O'Connell Bridge. Numerous diversions are in place.
All private car-parks within the cordon area will be closed. Westland Row DART station will remain open. Numerous diversions throughout the centre city will be in operation.
Arrangements are in place to allow access to restricted areas by residents or business people. Cross traffic will be permitted at certain points. Access to the Rotunda Hospital permitted via Bolton Street. Access to the Beaumont Hospital via Dorset Street and Drumcondra.
Between 11.50 a.m. and 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday, traffic travelling south on the M1 will be diverted at junction 3 on to the M50. Between 11.50 and 4 p.m. tomorrow and 11.50 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, traffic travelling south on the M1 to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin Port, Connolly Station, Busaras, St Vincent's Hospital and Dun Laoghaire Port will be diverted on to the N32 to the Malahide Road.
Buses:
Expressway services to and from the south, south-west and west will operate via the M50, Navan Road and Amiens Street. Local services on the Kildare, Edenderry and Mullingar routes will travel to Busaras via Church Street, Broadstone, Dorset Street and Gardiner Street, and from Busaras via North Circular Road, Conyngham Road and Islandbridge.
Sunday, July 12th (Stage 1):
From 6 a.m. to midnight, traffic will prevented from entering the same north city area as on Saturday.
From noon to 6 p.m., traffic will be prevented from entering the area bordered by Montpellier HillInfirmary Road, Phoenix Park Gate, Blackhorse Avenue-North Circular Road, Blackhall Place, Benburb Street, Temple Street West.
Access to James Connolly Memorial Hospital permitted via Navan Road. Access to Beaumont Hospital via M50/Northern Cross.
Extensive traffic restrictions will operate between 8 a.m. and noon in the south city. No entry into Merrion Square East, Fitzwilliam Street Lower, James's Street East, Herbert Place or Dawson Street.
Between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., diversions will be in place away from the Tour route between Dundrum, Kilmacud, Stillorgan and Shankill. Traffic from Dun Laoghaire Port bound for the south and south-east will be diverted to the East Link Bridge to M50 to N7 towards Naas and Carlow.
In east Wicklow, the route between Kilpedder to Arklow to Laragh will be closed to traffic between 8 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. The N81 will be closed between 11 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.
Cross traffic will be allowed up to 30 minutes prior to the arrival of the race only at Newtownmountkennedy Underpass, Jack White's Cross, Avondale and Ballymore East. Dublin-bound traffic from the south-east will be diverted at Gorey to Carnew, Shillelagh, Tullow, Castledermot and Naas.
The road from Laragh to Kilmacanogue will be used as an emergency route and will be kept clear of traffic.
In west Wicklow, the road between Arklow and Hollywood will be closed from 8 a.m. and the N11 from 11 a.m. Routes will reopen approximately 30 minutes after the race has passed any particular point.
Restrictions in the south-west city will operate between noon and 5 p.m. with diversions away from the Naas Road, Tyrconnell Road, Emmet Road, South Circular Road and Parkgate Street.
In Cork, restrictions for the Stage 2 finish will come into operation from midnight, with the Carrigrohane Road from Victoria Cross closed except for residents and employees.
Buses:
Expressway services will operate via the M50 as on Saturday. Local services on the Kildare, Edenderry and Mullingar routes will operate via the M50, Navan Road and Amiens Street.
The following services will be cancelled: 9.45 a.m. Wicklow/ Dublin; 12.00 Dublin/Wicklow; 12.00 Wicklow/Dublin; 2 p.m. Dublin/Wicklow/Arklow; 2.30 p.m Wicklow/Dublin.
The 7.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. Rosslare/Dublin services will run via Carnew, Tullow, Castledermot, Naas and M50. The 10.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dublin/ Rosslare services will run via M50, Naas, Castledermot, Tullow and Carnew to Gorey and Rosslare.
The 11 a.m Dublin/Waterford service will run via M50, Naas, Dunlavin and Baltinglass to Tullow and Waterford. The 12.00 Dublin/Carnew service will run via M50, Naas, Dunlavin and Baltinglass.
Monday, July 13th (Stage 2):
From 7 a.m. to noon, race route between Enniscorthy and Waterford closed. Bridge at New Ross will remain open until 8 a.m. to allow access to Waterford side.
From 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m., race route between Waterford and Dungarvan closed. Between 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., race route between Dungarvan and Youghal closed. Traffic travelling from the south to Rosslare should go via Cork, Mallow, Mitchelstown, Cahir, Kilkenny, Kildavin, Gorey, Wexford.
Emergency access to Naas Hospital will be permitted. Emergency access to Dublin hospitals via Laragh/Kilmacanogue. While the N25 to Waterford is closed, any emergencies will be transferred to Wexford and Clonmel Hospitals.
In Cork city, a contra-flow system will be in operation on the N25 from 9.15 a.m. Diversions will be in place at Lower Glanmire Road, South Mall and College Road, among other places, from 10 a.m.
Road closures along the race route between Dunkettle Interchange and the Carrigrohane Road finish will be enforced between 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Alternative routes for non-race traffic to and from Kerry, Limerick and Dublin will be in operation.
Buses:
The 9 a.m. Dublin/Clonmel service will not serve Carrick-on-Suir. Services operating via Enniscorthy may be diverted.
Services on the Cork/Waterford route will start later than normal, with the first departures from Cork at 4.30 p.m. and Waterford at 2.30 p.m. The Cork/Athlone service will have no connection at Cahir to or from the Limerick/ Waterford route.
Other services to and from Cork should operate as normal, subject to diversions. Cross-city services will be divided from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. as advertised locally. Special "park and ride" buses will run from car-parks at Mahon, Tivoli, Lotabeg, Dublin Hill and Ballincollig, between 9.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m.
In Waterford, services will be cancelled from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., but "park and ride" buses will run from car-parks at Old Kilmeadan Road and Newrath. The 9 a.m. Waterford/ Wexford service will be cancelled. The 9.45 a.m. Waterford/Wexford and the 9 a.m. Limerick/Waterford services will both start from Campile.
