The back gate at Merlin Park Hospital has been permanently closed to public traffic starting from today.
Barriers are being installed at the back gate (off Merlin Lane) to manage traffic volumes on the Merlin Park University Hospital site.
Access to the hospital for the public, patients and visitors remains via the front entrance only.
Access via the back gate, once the barriers have been installed, will be restricted to HSE staff and essential service delivery vehicles, with strict access control in place.
The shuttle bus service for staff and patients between Merlin Park University Hospital and University Hospital Galway will operate as normal.
Local residents have complained for years now of people using Merlin Lane and the hospital campus as a rat run to avoid traffic on the old Dublin Road.
This has created a safety and traffic hazard for people living in the estates around the road, local have said.
