The National Transport Authority is defending the decision to carry out essential Luas works in Dublin this Bank Holiday weekend.

Major traffic diversions are being introduced in the city from 8pm on Friday night until 6am on Tuesday morning, with the closure of the city’s north and south quays at O’Connell Bridge.

NTA deputy chief executive Hugh Creegan said that the work is vital and has to be done this weekend.

Don't forget Dublin's North & South Quays will close tmw night for the Bank Holiday weekend:https://t.co/WwzBzCdsWw pic.twitter.com/0JSMxlyQSF

— AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) July 28, 2016

“The alternatives to doing it this way was a much longer disruption period that was going to extend over a much longer period,” he said.

“So in order to avoid that, we’ve targeted to do the works over a weekend period, but we need a three-day weekend, which means it has to be a Bank Holiday weekend.”