NEW changes to lanes at one of the city’s busiest junctions have been defended by the city council, following complaints by motorists.
The junction layout at the intersection between Eglinton Street and the South City Link Road, at the Elysian, has been changed in recent weeks.
Previously, there were options to turn right from two lanes at the junction. This has now been reduced to one, following the removal of the right-turn arrow on the middle lane.
Traffic can proceed straight ahead from both lanes on the South City Link.
One motorist said the changes had resulted in delays of up to 15 minutes from the turnoff for Boreenmanna Road on the South City Link Road to the Elysian on some mornings, with traffic regularly backed up as far as the Turner’s Cross exit at rush hour.
The traffic changes have resulted in delays of up to 15 minutes from the turn off for Boreenmanna Road to the Elysian on some mornings. Photo: Billy macGill
A spokesman for the transportation department at City Hall said however that, on balance, the changes had delivered an “improved operation on the network.” But he accepted that not all motorists would be happy with the move.
He said the changes were implemented by the city council’s Roads and Transportation Directorate when the opportunity arose to reinstate road markings at the junction following an extensive road resurfacing contract.
The spokesman said: “The manner in which the lane assignments were operating for some period prior to the recent changes were haphazard at best, in the degree to which the lanes were so mismatched to the demand, as observed on site.”
He pointed out that the patterns of traffic flow into the junction have changed in recent years, with a “very significant demand” been placed on the South City Link road lane turning left onto Old Station Road, running along the side of Anglesea Street garda station, onto Copley Street and George’s Quay.
Public and private Parking spaces on Eglinton Street had also increased the demand for traffic travelling straight through the junction onto Eglinton Street.
But he said: “There was a long-term commitment to improving the level of service provided to traffic, including heavy goods vehicles headed to Albert Quay and on towards the docklands via Eglinton Street.”
According to the spokesman, there is now more balanced queuing on both lanes on the South City Link road.
And he said motorists can also help reduce traffic congestion by changing their habits, by avoiding blocking up junctions further into the city at areas such as Penrose Quay by, for example, selecting the inside lane on Penrose Quay to progress left or straight ahead. He said blocking up of junctions within the city can lead to traffic congestion on routes further out, including at the Boreenmanna Road junction.