M11 southbound night closures from Monday 7 September

Wicklow County Council has given notice of temporary overnight closures on the M11 southbound from Monday 7 September to Friday 13 November 2026, to allow resurfacing works. The closures run 21:00 to 06:00, Monday to Friday nights, and are being done in two phases — the first of which covers the exact stretch most of us use coming home from Dublin.

Only the southbound carriageway is named in the notice. Driving north towards Dublin at night should be unaffected, as should weekends and anything outside the 21:00–06:00 window.

Phase 1: Junction 13 to Junction 16

This is the one to plan around. Junction 13 is the Newtownmountkennedy / Killadreenan exit and Junction 16 is the Wicklow North / Rathnew exit, so this closes the run down past Ashford.

The signed diversion:

1. Exit the M11 southbound at Junction 13; at the roundabout take the 2nd exit for the L5050 Killadreenan.
2. Follow the L5050 for 1.8km.
3. At the junction, turn right onto the R761 southbound.
4. Follow the R761 for 9km.
5. At the roundabout, turn right to stay on the R761, then turn right onto the R772.
6. Follow the R772 for 600m; at the roundabout take the 1st exit to rejoin the M11 southbound at Junction 16.

Phase 2: Junction 16 to Junction 18

Junction 18 is the Wicklow South / Redcross exit, so this phase is south of us — it affects heading on towards Arklow and Wexford at night rather than getting home.

The signed diversion:

1. Exit the M11 southbound at Junction 16; at the roundabout take the 1st exit onto the R772.
2. Follow the R772 for 900m.
3. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit to stay on the R772.
4. Follow the R772 for 1.6km.
5. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit to stay on the R772.
6. Follow the R772 for 300m; at the roundabout take the 2nd exit to rejoin the M11 southbound at Junction 18.

The notice doesn't say when Phase 1 ends and Phase 2 begins — only that the whole programme runs to 13 November. Watch the signs on the night.

What this means for you

• Coming home from Dublin after 9pm? During Phase 1 you'll be sent off at Junction 13 and down the R761 through Newcastle and Ashford — the old road home. Since the R761 runs all the way to Rathnew, you don't necessarily need to rejoin the motorway at Junction 16 at all if you're heading for the estate. Allow yourself an extra 15 minutes or so either way.
• Don't count on the Ashford exits. The Council says intermediate junctions will be closed as required to facilitate the works, so during Phase 1 that potentially includes Junction 14 (Coynes Cross) and Junction 15 (Ashford). Plan on staying on the diversion.
• Local access will be maintained where necessary, per the notice.
• Nothing changes for the daytime commute or the bus — see our Commuting to Dublin guide if you'd rather leave the car at home for a few weeks.

Ten weeks of night works is a long stretch, but it's confined to the hours most of us aren't on the road, and the alternative route is a road nearly everyone here has driven before.

Source: temporary road closure notice from Wicklow County Council. Details can change, and phase dates in particular may shift — check the Council's road closures page or their social channels for the latest.