Limerick traffic to be disrupted by ‘abnormal load’

New storage tanks being delivered to the Aughinish Alumina refinery on Aughinish Island near Foynes are set to cause traffic difficulties for road users in Limerick tomorrow.

The tanks will be transported from Kilmallock near the Cork border via Charleville and Newcastle West beginning at 9.30am and the operation is expected to take until midnight. A garda escort will accompany the convoy.

Gardaí have issued a traffic warning to road users of the R.515 from Kilmallock to Charleville, the N20 from Charleville to O’Rourke’s Cross, the R518 and R520 from O’Rourke’s Cross to Newcastle West, the R521 from Newcastle West to Shanagolden and the N69 from Shanagolden to Aughinish Island.

Road users should expect disruptions and delays on the route because of the transportation of the abnormal load, gardaí have said.

Because of the characteristics of the roads and the size of the load, overtaking the convoy will not be possible or permitted, except on wide sections of the road.

And oncoming travel may be directed to stop while the convoy passes against them, gardaí have said.

In a statement this morning, gardaí requested that road users exercise caution and patience when travelling on the route and if possible use alternative routes instead.

Aughinish refinery is the only producer of alumina in the country and employs more than 450 people.

It has operated on the island in the Shannon Estuary for more than 30 years, but there have been concerns for its future after its parent company Rusal, the world's largest aluminium producer, warned of "material uncertainty" over its future after posting a $3.2 billion loss - its worst annual performance since 2008.

The work of the refinery has also raised environmental concerns among locals and is set to be an issue in the upcoming local election campaign.