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"Car Park" M7 Now Ireland’s Second-Busiest Road, As TII Warns Of Capacity Limits

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 13:27

By Martin Osborne - Head Of News

Data released to Kildare North Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly shows traffic across the greater Dublin motorway network, including the M4, M7 and M9, has grown by 2% in the past year.

Traffic volumes on key commuter motorways have surged again - with new figures showing the M7 is now the second-busiest road in the country.

Data released to Kildare North Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly shows traffic across the greater Dublin motorway network, including the M4, M7 and M9, has grown by 2% in the past year.

The M50 is carrying 50,000 more vehicles per day than before the pandemic - an increase of around 11%.

Daily volumes on the M7 have now hit 116,000 vehicles.

Deputy Farrelly says the figures from Transport Infrastructure Ireland are “cold, hard facts” that highlight a widening gap between commuter demand and government investment.

He says the numbers land just days after the Government shelved the DART+ South West project for at least five years .

TII has already warned that the M50 has reached its physical limits and cannot be widened further.

Deputy Farrelly says long commutes are pushing more people on to congested roads.

He warned that without major investment in rail, bus and active travel infrastructure, congestion will continue to worsen.

Meanwhile, a long-awaited review of the M7/M9 junction is nearing completion.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland says a report is now being finalised and will be examined once received.

The junction is considered one of the worst bottlenecks for Kildare commuters heading towards Dublin - and regularly turns into a "car park" when there’s even a minor collision.

The update was issued to Kildare South Labour TD Mark Wall, who has been calling for action on congestion across the corridor.

TII says it will review the findings as soon as the report lands.

The review follows a series of serious road collisions at the junction in recent months, raising concerns among commuters and local residents.

It aims to address the increasing number of accidents and implement solutions that will enhance the safety of road users.

Deputy Wall previously said the review should focus on road safety enhancements and junction tightening, with secondary concerns directed toward alleviating congestion in towns and villages through bypasses, followed by regional connectivity improvements.

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