Waterford City and County Council is reviewing the operation of traffic lights at the Rice Bridge junction following significant traffic delays across the city yesterday evening.

Some motorists have described the congestion as among the worst seen in Waterford in years, with tailbacks stretching from the Merchant’s Quay junction as far back as University Hospital Waterford.

The delays continued for several hours, causing major disruption for commuters travelling through the city during the evening rush hour.

In a statement, Waterford City and County Council confirmed it is aware of the traffic problems experienced across parts of the city.

The local authority says the operation of the traffic signal system at the junction of Merchant’s Quay and Rice Bridge is being reviewed to establish whether any sequencing issues occurred.

The Council has apologised to commuters for the inconvenience caused.

The incident comes amid growing reports of increased traffic congestion across Waterford during peak commuting hours.