East Link Bridge was stuck upright causing major traffic delays

Dublin’s East Link Bridge was stuck upright for almost an hour on Friday morning causing major traffic delays from the city centre out to the M1/M50 interchange.

The toll bridge, which lifts on average of 2 to 3 times a day during the summer months for river traffic, became stuck when it opened at 10.30am to allow a ferry to pass.

A spokesman for Dublin City Council said the bridge went into "fail safe mode" where it detected an internal pressure drop. This caused the bridge to lower down at a much slower pace than the normal speed. Engineers are currently at the bridge to try and determine why the it went into fail safe mode.

The bridge is a main artery crossing the river Liffey from North Wall to Ringssend near Dublin Port.

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The bridge malfunction led to severe traffic delays throughout the morning in Ringsend and through the Port Tunnel southbound, while the number of vehicles passing through the Port Tunnel had to be metered to avoid congestion. The traffic delays stretched out to the M1/M50 interchange.

Traffic delays have continued into Friday afternoon, however a spokeswoman for AA Roadwatch said this was not unusual for the time of year and warm summer weather with many people trying to get away early for the weekend.

Meanwhile, there are delays both ways on the Clontarf Road at Dollymount due to works and further out there is very busy traffic approaching Sutton Cross from Kilbarrack on the Howth Road.

Traffic is also heavy northbound from Beach Road through the Sean Moore Road to Tom Clarke Bridge and there are delays on Macken Street from before Pearse Street junction to Samuel Beckett Bridge.