The new bridge will include footpaths and cycleways the current one lacks
In Limerick's long-underserved northside, a stretch of dual carriageway years in the making opens on March 9 — not as an ending, but as a threshold. The new road between Cratloe Road and Knockalisheen Road is less a finished gift than a working scaffold, enabling the demolition and rebirth of the Ballynanty Rail Bridge and signalling a city beginning, at last, to reimagine how all its people move through it.
- A dual carriageway that has been years in development finally opens to traffic on March 9, offering Limerick's northside its first tangible piece of a broader infrastructure overhaul.
- The opening immediately triggers the next phase of disruption: Knockalisheen Road will close entirely as the Ballynanty Rail Bridge faces full demolition on March 27 and 28.
- The newly opened Moyross Link Road carries a double burden — serving everyday commuters while absorbing all diverted traffic during the bridge demolition and reconstruction.
- The rebuilt bridge will include footpaths and cycleways absent from the current structure, marking a deliberate shift toward infrastructure that serves pedestrians and cyclists, not just drivers.
- Residents were invited to a public information meeting on March 5 to prepare for weeks of rerouting that will reshape daily routines across the northside.
Starting March 9, drivers on Limerick's northside gain access to a newly completed dual carriageway running between the Cratloe Road Roundabout and the Knockalisheen Road Roundabout. The opening is managed rather than celebratory — traffic will flow through the new section while construction continues around it, with the Moyross Link Road serving both as a functioning route and a diversion corridor for the heavier work ahead.
What the opening truly unlocks is the project's second phase: the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Ballynanty Rail Bridge. On March 27 and 28, the existing structure comes down. During demolition and the rebuilding that follows, Knockalisheen Road closes to through traffic, with drivers redirected onto the Moyross Link Road. The new bridge, when finished, will include footpaths and cycleways — amenities the current structure has never offered.
The council held a public information session at Moyross Community Centre on March 5, giving residents a chance to understand the disruption ahead and raise concerns about school runs, deliveries, and emergency access — the practical texture of a neighbourhood mid-construction.
For a northside long passed over by major road investment, the project carries weight beyond its engineering. The combination of new carriageway capacity and a rebuilt bridge with pedestrian and cycling infrastructure hints at a broader ambition — movement reimagined beyond the car. Whether it eases congestion or simply absorbs future growth is still an open question, but by late March the old bridge will be gone, and the change will be impossible to ignore.
Starting next Monday, drivers across Limerick's northside will have access to a stretch of road that has been years in the making. The newly completed dual carriageway, running between the Cratloe Road Roundabout and the Knockalisheen Road Roundabout, opens on March 9 under a managed traffic system designed to keep vehicles moving while construction continues around them.
The opening marks the first tangible piece of a larger infrastructure overhaul aimed at untangling the city's northern approaches. The Moyross Link Road, a key component of this new section, will serve a dual purpose: it provides a functioning route for everyday traffic while simultaneously acting as a diversion corridor for the heavier work ahead. City and county officials framed the milestone as essential to improving how people and goods move through the area, with particular emphasis on safety and accessibility.
What makes this opening significant is not just the road itself, but what it enables next. Once traffic can flow through the new section, construction crews can move into the second phase of the project, which centers on the Ballynanty Rail Bridge. This structure will be completely demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. The new bridge will include footpaths and cycleways—amenities the current bridge lacks—making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists navigating the area.
The timeline is tight and will reshape how residents and commuters experience the northside for the next several weeks. Preparatory work begins the same week the road opens. Then, on March 27 and 28, the existing Ballynanty Bridge comes down. During this demolition window and the reconstruction that follows, Knockalisheen Road will be fully closed to through traffic. Drivers will be routed onto the newly opened Moyross Link Road, which becomes the primary alternative route while the bridge work proceeds.
The council held a public information session on Thursday, March 5, at Moyross Community Centre to walk residents through the plans and answer questions about what to expect. These meetings are standard practice for projects of this scale, giving people a chance to understand the disruption ahead and ask about specific concerns—school runs, emergency access, business deliveries, and the like.
For a city that has long struggled with traffic congestion and aging infrastructure, this project represents a deliberate attempt to modernize. The northside has been underserved by major road investment for years, and the combination of new dual carriageway capacity plus a rebuilt bridge with modern pedestrian and cycling infrastructure suggests a shift toward thinking about movement beyond cars alone. Whether the improvements will meaningfully ease congestion or simply accommodate growth remains to be seen, but the work is now visible and tangible. By late March, the bridge will be gone, and by sometime later in the year, it will be rebuilt. Until then, the diversions will be part of daily life for anyone traveling through that part of the city.
Notable Quotes
This marks a major milestone in the ongoing programme to enhance connectivity, accessibility and transport safety in the city's northside.— Limerick City and County Council spokesperson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a bridge demolition require closing an entire road? Can't they work around it?
A rail bridge carries weight and stress in ways that make partial demolition risky. You can't safely take it apart while traffic moves underneath. That's why they need the new link road open first—to give traffic somewhere else to go.
So the new road opening is really just a prerequisite for the bridge work?
Exactly. The council couldn't close Knockalisheen Road without an alternative. The Moyross Link Road had to be finished first. It's sequencing—one thing unlocks the next.
What happens to people who live or work right on Knockalisheen Road during the closure?
They'll need to use the diversions like everyone else. That's why the council held the public meeting—to explain the routes and give people time to plan. Some businesses might see traffic drop, others might benefit from being on the diversion route.
The new bridge gets footpaths and cycleways. Does that suggest the old one didn't have them?
The old bridge was built for trains and vehicles, not pedestrians or cyclists. Adding those facilities is part of modernizing the corridor—it's not just about cars anymore.
How long will the whole thing take?
The demolition is two days. Reconstruction will take longer—probably several months. But the worst disruption, the full road closure, is concentrated in that window.
Is this typical for Limerick, or is this a bigger deal than usual?
It's significant. The northside has been neglected for years. This is the city finally investing in that area, so it's worth paying attention to.