Thousands of road-users in Co Cork are being urged to familiarise themselves with a new layout for Little Island, ahead of Monday's opening of two key new road links as part of the multi-million euro Dunkettle interchange upgrade project.
The Dunkettle interchange is one of Ireland's busiest junctions used by up to 100,000 vehicles a day.
The upgrade project, which includes the removal of traffic lights from the Dunkettle roundabout on the north side of the Jack Lynch Tunnel and the construction of several new roads, is designed to create a largely free-flow interchange to allow north/south traffic on the M8 and east/west traffic on the N25 to flow freely.
From 6am on Monday, road users travelling eastbound on the N8 Cork to Dublin road will now be able to access Little Island by diverging left along a one-way road to Bury's Bridge.
Here, traffic will travel under a number of newly constructed railway bridges before crossing over the N25 via a new bridge and on to Little Island.
The route will also allow for northbound access from Little Island.
The opening of the second link means that for the first time, pedestrians and cyclists will have safe access to Little Island from the Tivoli roundabout on the western side via a newly constructed walk and cycle way.
The 'ibis' slip road will shut to traffic once the two new link roads open, with vehicles being diverted via the new link roads to access the M8, the N8 and the N40.
The upgrade is set to cater for forecasted traffic growth up to 2050, and the scheme is on target for completion in 18 months.
