Seán Crowe
Question:88 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the proposals he has to tackle the gridlocks on roads here, particularly coming up to the Christmas season. [32128/04]
View answerTuesday, 7 December 2004
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The major investment being undertaken in the upgrade of the national road network is having a major beneficial impact on traffic flows throughout the country. A key objective of the upgrade programme is the elimination of bottlenecks through the provision of new routes bypassing towns and villages. Major projects completed in recent years, and which have contributed significantly to better traffic flow, include the upgrade of the M1, Kildare, Monasterevin, Cashel, Watergrasshill and Limerick Southern Ring Road bypasses on the N7/N8, Youghal bypass on the N25, Ballincollig bypass on the N22 and so forth.
In the greater Dublin area, a comprehensive plan has been put in place to manage and control the increase in traffic during the Christmas period. Operation Freeflow, which is now in its ninth year, was officially launched on Monday, 29 November 2004. The plan, which runs until Friday, 7 January 2005, was put together under the auspices of the Garda Síochána and the Dublin Transportation Office, in close co-operation with the local authorities and transportation service providers. This year's Operation Freeflow has been improved and extended to better manage the 10% increase in traffic volume that Dublin experiences throughout Christmas and the early part of the new year. It will ensure that traffic is managed in the most practical and efficient way possible during what is the busiest time of the year for businesses and shoppers alike.