Luas works on O'Connell Street. Sam Boal Sam Boal

PLANNING ON DRIVING through Dublin city centre this weekend or next?

There are some major route changes, motorists are being warned – as the latest phase of construction of the Luas Cross City project gets under way.

Here are the main points:

• O’Connell Bridge (northbound), Burgh Quay, Bachelors Walk and Westmoreland Street will all be reduced to one lane from 9pm tomorrow night until noon on Sunday. There’ll be no right turn from O’Connell Bridge onto Eden Quay during these times.
• Fleet Street (from Westmoreland Street to D’Olier Street) will be closed to vehicles throughout this Sunday. 

• From Monday, there’ll be a revised road layout to allow construction work on College Street, College Green and Westmoreland Street – with only one lane in each direction.
• Next weekend, there’s changes again on O’Connell Bridge (northbound), Burgh Quay, Bachelors Walk and Westmoreland Street. The routes will again be reduced to one lane from 9pm Saturday until midday the following day.

Stop the lights 

If you take the Luas, you should probably also note that stops between Abbey Street and the Point will be closed from 21 May (a fortnight from tomorrow) until the end of July.

Luas Luas

Dublin Bus is providing a special bus service which will stop near the existing Luas stops.

• Read: More on the Luas changes this summer > 

There’ll be substantial traffic restrictions in and around O’Connell Street and the Talbot Street/Marlborough Street/Abbey Street area as the Luas works continue over the summer.

The entire Cross City project is set to cost  €368 million. It will link the two existing Luas lines in the city centre and will connect Cabra – at Broombridge – to St Stephen’s Green.

Construction began in June 2013, and it is expected to be in operation by the end of 2017.

Read: Public toilets over 100 years old are demolished to clear way for Luas >

Read: The real winner from the Luas strikes? Taxi drivers >