By Sean Moriarty

Early morning motorists heading to Killarney from the Tralee side were left very frustrated this week as heavy traffic backed up as far as Dunrine causing huge delays.

Works have begun on the long-awaited Kilcummin Sewerage Scheme. As a result the Coolcorcoran access to the Killarney by-pass is closed until the end of March. The main road from Kilcummin to Killarney is also closed until September 8.

As a result traffic leaving Kilcummin and heading towards Killarney must travel via Lawlor’s Cross forcing extra traffic onto the already busy Tralee Killarney road.

With the slip road at Coolcorcoran also closed traffic has been backed up from the Cleeney roundabout all the way to Dunrine every morning this week.

“Uisce Éireann and Kerry County Council are continually monitoring the temporary traffic management system during ongoing road closures,” a spokesperson for Uisce Éireann and Kerry County Council told the Killarney Advertiser.

“It was noted on Wednesday that the traffic was not as heavy as the previous morning. It is often the case that traffic can be heavy during the first few days after a temporary traffic management system is implemented but does improve as the local traffic adjusts to the temporary measures.”

It was suggested that a one-way system could operate on the Coolcorcoran road but this is not possible due to safety concerns.

“Unfortunately, it is necessary to close the road until the end of March, a one-way system cannot be accommodated due to the nature of the works, the current width of the road, and the need to ensure the safety of the construction workers and road users,” added the spokesperson.

“Uisce Éireann will continue to monitor and review the traffic management system over the coming days.

“The Kilcummin Sewerage Scheme is a long awaited and significant project for the area, Uisce Éireann is mindful of the disruption during the construction works and will continue to mitigate the impact as much as possible on the local community.”