Work will be completed on new Dunancory Bridge in a matter of Weeks says Senior Executive Engineer John McGahern.

Motorists ignoring all the 'large' signs

Dunancory bridge is just weeks from reopening on the main artery from Ballyjamesduff to Virginia after an extensive refurishment and upgrade programme.

Councillors had expressed concern over the volume of traffic ignoring large 'road closure' signs on the routes leading to Dunancory Bridge, and then being forced to use smaller link roads.

But Senior Executive Engineer John McGahern said it wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

Dunancory Bridge will open again in a matter of weeks. When that happens, this issue will go,he said.

He pointed out there is signage at each junction on the N3, which informs motorists to drive straight on, that in effect is the diversion.

The engineer said they explicitly did not sign the Ballyjamesduff to Virginia road or any other road as a diversion route or any other road going out onto the N3.

Cllr Shane P. O’Reilly (Ind) suggested maybe larger signs could be put in place.

Mr McGahern said the existing signage is the largest you can access. There is a flashing sign in the Ballyjamesduff town centre at Dublin Street and it is 6ft wide and 6ft tall.

Then, when the traffic drives past that one, they will encounter another large sign at Skelly’s Service Station, which highlights that there is no access to the town of Virginia on that road. Again it is a large orange flashing sign.

Mr McGahern said that, if they blocked a particular road, then the motorists would turn down the road before that, which is even narrower again.

They would block that one and then go down the next one – that is what people do,he said. He pointed out that they have to be conscious of putting restrictions on these smaller roads and they just can’t ban traffic outright.

Cllr T.P. O’Reilly (FG) said that local people were using the side road in question, because they can’t use the main road and you can’t change the volume of traffic using it.