Junction right turn ban from next week

A ban on right-hand turns at the Kingston Road/Taylor’s Hill junction will be put in place from Monday morning, as part of a pilot scheme to tackle traffic tailbacks.

Motorists will not be allowed to turn right at the Kingston Road junction when approaching from the Kingston or Taylor’s Hill sides.  New traffic lights, road markings and advance warning notices are set to be installed over the weekend, and the ban will be in force prior to rush hour next Monday morning.

The existing lights are likely to be switched off for the weekend while works are carried out.

The changes will see motorists forced to find an alternative route for the school run from Knocknacarra to Coláiste Eine or Salerno on Threadneedle Road, or those travelling from Taylor’s Hill down to the Westside. While the three-month ‘pilot’ ban has been touted as a solution to chronic tailbacks at the junction, some local residents say they were “caught by surprise” and have called for the ban to be abandoned.

A spokesperson for the Maunsells Residents’ Association – which is opposing the plan – said the ban should be postponed until a proper baseline study of traffic levels in the area can be undertaken.

“It will force motorists to find an alternative route for those travelling from Taylor’s Hill to the Westside and will have huge implications for already high and dangerous traffic levels on Maunsells Road.”

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