Ban on right turns to be introduced at notorious bottleneck

A ban on right turns at one of the busiest junctions in the city is to be trialled in a bid to alleviate chronic tailbacks.

Within the next fortnight, the ban will be introduced, whereby motorists will no longer be able to turn right at the Kingston Road junction when approaching from the Kingston or Taylor’s Hill sides.

The ban will be in place for a period of three months, which will allow the local authority to collect data on traffic flows at what is one of the biggest arteries in the city, where tailbacks are a regular feature even at off-peak hours.

Six sets of traffic counters will be put in place next week to record traffic data, and new ‘heads’ for the traffic lights have been ordered – the new system will be put in place within the next fortnight. Council officials are also consulting with Gardaí on the changes.

The major change will force motorists to find an alternative route for the school run from Knocknacarra to St Enda’s or Salerno on Threadneedle Road or those travelling from Taylor’s Hill down to the Westside.

Galway City Council had ruled out the idea of the ban in 2011, insisting it would cause congestion in residential areas.

Two years later, officials agreed to implement the change but the proposal somehow fell off the radar in the lead-up to the election.

For more details on the ban, see this week’s Galway City Tribune