Tolls will cause further problems in Urlingford and Johnstown

Speculation is rife that the proposed Cork-Dublin motorway will be tolled near Urlingford and Johnstown which will cause traffic to continue using the exsisting road according to Cllr Mary White.
“Heavy goods vehicles are the least likely to use the new motorway and will continue to drive through the towns. Provincial licence holders will not be allowed to use the motorway and will also continue to use the exsisting road,” the Councillor claimed.

Residents in both towns have had to put up with ever increasing volumes of cars and heavy goods vehicles over the past few years.
Cllr White said “In 1998 the National Roads Authority (NRA) proposed bypassing Urlingford and Johnstown. Such bypasses would greatly reduce traffic volumes going through the town.
“Then in 1999 the Government announced that it would build a new motorway from Dublin to Cork and that the motorway would be tolled. It’s defies common sense to toll a road that you want people to use but that is exactly what this government plans to do.

Ms White added “Instead of a by-pass we are getting a tolled motorway. We know from various reports and international experience that up to 40% of traffic will use the exsisting route and decide not to pay the toll.
“We have an opportunity to remove a great deal of traffic from both Urlingford and Johnstown, thus improving the quality of life for the people living in these towns.

“Instead this Government will toll the motorway. The only people who will benefit from the tolling of this motorway are the private sector who will make profits for the next thirty years,” she claimed.
A private company, National Toll Roads (NTR), has collected the tolls since both bridges in Dublin opened in 1984 and 1990. In less than 20 years the value of its investment has grown more than 100 fold.