Major Night Works Hit Cork Roads This Week: Jack Lynch Tunnel and Kinsale Road Roundabout

Cork motorists face a challenging week ahead with two major road projects running simultaneously, affecting key routes across the city including access to Cork Airport.

The Jack Lynch Tunnel's southbound bore will close for maintenance every night from Monday to Thursday (4-7 August), while major resurfacing works at the N40 Junction 6 (Kinsale Road Roundabout) begin on Tuesday evening and will continue for approximately five weeks.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has scheduled nightly closures of the tunnel's southbound bore from 22:00 to 05:00 each night through Thursday. The closure times were amended at the request of An Garda Síochána, as confirmed by TII Traffic on Monday morning. The northbound bore will remain open throughout, but drivers heading south through the tunnel will need to use the Dunkettle Interchange route via the N8 and N25.

TII Traffic confirmed:

"At the request of AGS the closure times have been amended to 22:00 - 05:00."

Adding to the complexity, the Kinsale Road Roundabout works will run from 20:30 to 06:00, Monday through Saturday, for the next five weeks. This junction serves as a critical access point for Cork Airport traffic, as well as vehicles travelling to and from Kinsale, Togher, and Frankfield.

Cork Airport has issued an advisory urging passengers to allow additional time for their journeys, particularly those with late-night arrivals or early morning departures. With both the tunnel and roundabout affected, alternative routes may experience heavier traffic than usual during the overnight hours.

The timing of both projects reflects careful planning to minimise disruption to peak traffic flows. The Kinsale Road Roundabout will see all lanes reinstated each morning before 06:00, ensuring daytime commuters avoid delays. Similarly, the tunnel closures beginning at 22:00 should avoid the evening rush.

Regular users of these routes, including shift workers, airport passengers, and those making essential overnight journeys, should familiarise themselves with the diversion routes. Signage will be in place at both locations to guide motorists safely around the work sites.

Looking ahead, more extensive tunnel works are planned for late August, including full closures on 29 and 31 August, with further full closures scheduled for three consecutive nights from 7 to 9 October.

For real-time updates, motorists can visit jacklynchtunnel.ie or follow TII Traffic on social media for the latest travel advisories.