Following a devastating motorbike and lorry accident on Friday, the M50 bypass in Dublin is now open once again. The northward lane had previously been closed between the seventh junction N4/Liffey Valley and the sixth junction Blanchardstown after the two vehicles, a motorbike and a lorry, had a collision after 10:15 am. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a man in his 40s, who was riding the motorbike, at the actual scene of the accident. The lorry driver, a man in his 50s, was taken to a nearby hospital for check-ups.
The motorway had been cordoned off for the Garda Forensic Collision team to carry out a detailed examination, who are currently urging witnesses to come forward. The unfortunate incident on Friday brings the total fatalities on the country’s roads this year to 75. This is in comparison to 57 around the same period last year.
The law enforcement officials are requesting anyone on the M50 route during the incident that might have caught the accident on camera, including dashboard cameras, to provide the footage. Anyone with relevant information should contact the Blanchardstown Garda station at 01 666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any other Garda station.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland confirmed the reopening of the M50 with an announcement on X on Friday evening. A separate post by Gardaí on X has warned commuters that traffic would start moving slowly after the reopening.
Gardaí was also assisted by emergency services at the site of the accident and diversions had been set up earlier that day. Due to possible traffic congestion, Dublin Airport advised travellers to set aside additional time for their journey. Maynooth University took the decision to cancel all scheduled exams for the Friday afternoon as a significant number of students could not make it to the campus due to the closure.