A phased return to work has not led to a serious enhance within the quantity of visitors on the roads.
Figures for final Friday, compiled by Transport Infrastructure Eire, confirmed visitors numbers had been dramatically increased than in 2021 when the nation was in full lockdown, however nonetheless decrease than in 2020 earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic.
Visitors counters on 15 routes within the State noticed 12 had a rise in visitors, one had no change and the N15 south of Lifford in Co Donegal had a 6 per cent lower. That lower in visitors is almost certainly accounted for by roadworks which can be happening till March. There was additionally a 3 per cent lower in visitors on the N3 north of Belturbet.
On busy routes out and in of Dublin, visitors was up by 3 per cent on the M50 between the N3 and N4 junctions, the busiest within the nation; by 2 per cent on the M1 between Dublin Airport and the M50; and 1 per cent on each the M4 between Celbridge and Maynooth and the N7 at Metropolis West.
Visitors on the N40 Cork South ring street was up by 2 per cent, the N6 at Bóthar na dTreabh into Galway metropolis by 4 per cent and the M7 into Limerick by 3 per cent.
The M1 north of junction 20 into south Armagh was up by 8 per cent – the biggest enhance within the State.
The figures confirmed visitors volumes up between 41 per cent and 86 per cent in contrast with the identical day (January twenty eighth) in 2021 when there was a full lockdown throughout the State, however nonetheless properly down on pre-pandemic ranges.
Visitors volumes had been down in contrast with 2020 by between 5 per cent on the M4 to twenty per cent on Bóthar na dTreabh in Co Galway.