City Hall confims Ocean Race will pose traffic headaches

Date Published: 24-Apr-2009

CITY Hall has moved to allay fears that the city’s streets will be brought to a virtual standstill and turned into a massive car park for two weeks when an influx of tens of thousands of visitors is expected to descend on Galway during the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover next month.

In the past number of weeks, there has been serious traffic chaos on all roads in and out of the city – the long tailbacks on the city’s main arteries at peak times have left thousands of workers and shoppers fuming.

The traffic congestion has been exacerbated by ongoing road works at the docks, Moneenageisha roundabout and off the Headford Road, with motorists reporting commute times of more than 60 minutes from GMIT to Salthill and 70 minutes from Dangan to Oranmore.

Although Galway City Council insists the roadworks are being carried out in preparation for the Volvo Race, and will be finished by May 23 when the yachts and visitors arrive in the city, there are real
concerns that the city will be choked and clogged up with traffic during the event.

Questions have…