Gardai have warned anyone travelling to Dublin Airport on Wednesday or Friday to give themselves extra time due to US President Joe Biden’s visit.
Mr Biden will arrive in Belfast on Tuesday as part of his four day trip to Ireland and the UK to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He will spend less than 24 hours in Belfast, before travelling to Dublin Airport on Air Force One on Wednesday afternoon.
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Fresh advice issued by the gardaí on Monday evening warned passengers that there could be delays on the roads entering the airport.
Similar advice was given to those travelling to Knock Airport on Friday, where Mr Biden will arrive and depart as part of his trip to his ancestral home in Ballina.
They said: “The 46th President of the United States of America [Mr Biden] will arrive and depart at Dublin Airport, at various times over the course of the 4-day visit.
“Normal operations will continue at Dublin Airport at all times, however travelling members of the public should allow additional time to arrive at the airport due to possible rolling road closures, particularly late Wednesday and early Friday.
“The 46th President of the United States of America will arrive and depart at Ireland West Airport, on the afternoon and evening of Friday 14th April 2023. Normal operations will continue at Ireland West Airport at all times, however travelling members of the public should allow additional time to arrive at the airport due to possible rolling road closures.”
The gardaí stated that “traffic restrictions for the visit will be kept to the minimum required” and it is intended to keep any impact “localised and minimal”.
However, restrictions came into force in some areas of Dublin at 7am on Wednesday morning, with parking restrictions on Earlsfort Terrace, Leeson Street Lower, Hatch Street Lower, Castle Street and Ship Street. These will continue until Saturday 15th April.
Earlsfort Terrace will close to traffic from Tuesday at 7am.
The Office of Public Works (OPW), meanwhile, has advised that the Phoenix Park will be closed to all access, traffic and pedestrians, from 5pm on Wednesday until 5pm on Thursday 13th.
Gardaí also advised that specific details on further local road closures, parking restrictions and traffic diversions for Louth, Dublin and Mayo will be published in the coming days.
Mr Biden will travel to Belfast on Tuesday evening, where he will meet UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He will open the University of Ulster campus on Wednesday morning, before travelling to Dublin on Air Force One. From Dublin, he will take a helicopter to Louth to visit family in Dundalk and Cooley.
Thursday will be a day of political engagements, with a visit to Michael D Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin, an engagement in Farmleigh with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and an address to the Dáil. A banquet will be held in Dublin Castle in the evening time.
On Friday, Mr Biden will travel to Ballina, Co Mayo, the hometown of his great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt.
He will give a public address outside St Muredach’s Cathedral, where it is expected hundreds of people will throng the streets. He will return to the US that evening.
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