WEEKEND TRAVEL

The holiday season reaches its peak this Bank Holiday weekend and with good weather forecast the roads will be busy.

The holiday season reaches its peak this Bank Holiday weekend and with good weather forecast the roads will be busy.

The public transport companies are expecting many passengers. Iarnrod Eireann expects 200,000 to travel over the weekend and is running more than 30 special trains in addition to the scheduled timetable. These include special services for the Kildare v Meath match in Dublin, and Sunday's Mayo v Sligo match in Roscommon.

DART services on the Bank Holiday Monday will be similar to Sunday services. There will be no suburban trains on Monday between Dublin and Arklow, Dundalk, Kildare or Maynooth.

Bus Eireann expects to carry 100,000 passengers. Normal services will operate today and tomorrow but some Sunday evening services will be cancelled. There will be normal services on Monday, with extra busses in the evening. The usual "early bird" services to Dublin on Monday will run instead on Tuesday.

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Aer Rianta is advising air passengers to allow for extra traffic when coming to the airports and to travel early.

Irish Ferries and Stena Sealink services are normal this weekend. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is running two extra return sailings between Dublin and Douglas.

AA Roadwatch is advising motorists about roundabout construction on the Milltown Bridge and Maple Road in Dublin, with one lane of traffic and temporary lights.

Elsewhere in Dublin city, Beaver Row remains closed between Donnybrook and Clonskeagh, and drivers should use either Eglinton Road or Belmont Avenue.

The Leopardstown Road is closed in one direction and there is single-lane traffic on the Rochestown Road due to resurfacing. Brighton Road, Foxrock, is closed for drainage works and there are roadworks at Glenageary roundabout.

ESAT Telecom will be carrying out ducting work during the night in Dublin city centre. Telecom Eireann will be carrying out ducting work on Upper George's Street, Dun Laoghaire, and is working on Ferndale Road/Old Connacht in Shankill. There are gasworks on the Monkstown Road, Blackrock.

There are roadworks on the N1, five miles south of Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Due to roadworks on the median M50 to the Lucan interchange, the eastbound bus lane is closed at St Loman's and a contra-flow is in place at Fonthill.

There is a 40 mph speed limit between the M50 interchange and the Newcastle Road due to road improvements. All westbound traffic on the Lucan bypass is subject to a contra-flow between the Deadman's Inn junction and the Fonthill junction.

A section of Main Street, Rathcoole, from east of Beechwood Lawns to the Naas Road, is closed due to construction. The Old Naas Road, from Main Street, Rathcoole, to Beechwood Lawns is closed.

Roadworks and temporary lights on the Clane Road on the Sallins side of Clane village, Co Kildare, are causing delays. In Co Meath, there are roadworks on the N3, two miles on the Dublin side of Dunshaughlin.

There is only one eastbound lane open on the Athlone bypass so there may be delays, especially on Monday.

In Co Cavan, there are roadworks on the N55 between Ballinagh and Killydoon. In Co Donegal, there are major environmental works on Main Street, Ballybofey.

The Mary of Dungloe festival has brought heavy traffic to the area.

In Munster, resurfacing of the Ballyvourney to Kerry county bounds route in west Cork is causing delays.

In Killarney, Co Kerry, there is a new sign-posting system and town-centre car-park which should relieve traffic.

AA Roadwatch has warned that the holiday rush normally begins at lunchtime today, with the main routes from Dublin likely to be congested.