Rolling road closures began yesterday as summit delegations arrived

First delegations for the EPC and informal European Council meetings touched down yesterday afternoon, triggering rolling road closures between Dublin Airport, Casement Aerodrome and key city-centre hotels. Gardaí report convoy movements peaked between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m., with further waves shortly after midnight. Although advance notice was issued, many commuters were caught in grid-lock on the M1 inbound and along the North and South Quays. Real-time traffic data from TomTom shows average speeds on the M50 fell to 27 km/h at 6 p.m., compared with a typical 68 km/h. Airline coach operators diverted via the Port Tunnel, adding 40 minutes to journeys. Several corporate travellers missed evening flights, highlighting the importance of buffer time during high-level visits. The Garda Traffic Bureau says closures will continue on a rolling basis until Friday evening. Companies with time-sensitive cargo should consider out-of-hours deliveries when the cordons temporarily lift.