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COMMENT
For over 30 years consideration has been given to schemes to improve road
access to Dublin Port. The Dublin Port Tunnel was first mooted more than
a decade ago. After all that time it is a downright disgrace that an estimated
10 per cent of the HGV’s using Dublin port won't fit into the new
tunnel when it is completed in 2003.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially switched on the tunnel-boring machine
for the Dublin Port Tunnel at Whitehall on Tuesday May 7 at 12 noon. At
the "switching on" ceremony the Taoiseach said, "virtually
all trucks using Dublin Port will be able to use the tunnel. It will take
9,000 trucks off the streets of Dublin every day along with 2,500 cars,
with substantial environmental and safety benefits due to the reduction
in heavy goods vehicle traffic through Dublin city centre."
However, long before the project began The Irish Road Haulage Association
(IRHA) warned that as much as 10 per cent of port traffic wouldn't fit
in the tunnel. "We were the first organisation to raise this issue
some time ago. As soon as the project came into the public demesne, we
realised that as many as 900 trucks per day wouldn't fit in the tunnel,"
IRHA communications director, Gerry McMahon commented.
He continued: "The fundamental problem here is that nobody sat down
with the haulage industry and asked them what their requirements were.
We weren't consulted at the design stage."
Commencement of the project coincided with an elaborate media campaign
which informed listeners and readers that 9,000 trucks per day will taken
out of the city centre when the port tunnel is completed in 2003. McMahon
is annoyed that the advertising campaign neglected to inform its target
audience that some 900 articulated trucks would be forced through the
city centre because of the inadequacy of the tunnel's design.
"The advertisements on radio and in the papers said how great it
would be when the port tunnel was finally opened and that 9,000 trucks
per day would be removed from the streets of the capital. It will be great
for those trucks that can use the tunnel. We have always stated that we
don't want to be in the city centre in the first place. But at least 900
trucks will still have to travel through the capital because of the flaw
in the design."
Recently the Transport Umbrella Group of Dublin Port called on Dublin
City Council to increase the internal height of Dublin Port Tunnel to
accommodate the estimated 900 trucks per day that won't be able to use
it because of height restrictions.
However, Port Tunnel engineer Sean Wynne ruled out the possibility of
increasing the internal height of the tunnel to allow its use by the maximum
number of trucks.
He said going back to the drawing board at this advanced stage would add
another euro1 billion to the cost of the project.
He warned that because of the circular nature of the tunnel boring, it
was impossible to increase the internal height. Any attempt to lower the
surface of the road would compromise safety, as it would involve narrowing
the width of the lanes, which were specially designed for trucks, with
footpaths for emergency breakdowns.
Mr Wynne said he was confident that new laws would be brought in, which
would restrict the height of trucks to 4.65 metres or lower. This new
law would leave many of the larger trailers redundant, as they would be
illegal when the legislation is put in place.
However, McMahon refuted this assertion and pointed out that as things
stand in Ireland at the moment, there is no legislation governing height
restrictions. "Any new legislation brought in would only apply to
new plant. Mr Wynne is wrong in saying that these trailers would be redundant."
IBEC also wants the height limits in the port tunnel raised to accommodate
all the trucks using Dublin port. IBEC believes it is not too late to
change the size of the tunnel.
The IRHA backs the stance taken by the Transport Umbrella Group of Dublin
Port and IBEC. "We support the Transport Umbrella Group and IBEC
100 per cent. I don't think it is too late to re-evaluate the project.
We should be building a tunnel that will meet future requirements rather
than introducing height restrictions to cover up somebody's mistakes.
Realistically the tunnel should have a height clearance of 5.25 metres
to cater for the trailers that are on the road now and to allow for an
increase in trailer height in the years ahead."
The trend across Europe is for higher trailers yet McMahon believes the
tunnel has been designed to meet today's standards, rather with an eye
to the future. "The road transport industry across Europe is being
encouraged to go for higher trailers because more goods can be moved at
a time which increases efficiency."
He continued: "I thought we had learned from our previous mistakes.
We should be building infrastructure (including the Port Tunnel) to cater
for future requirements rather than building for today. In 10 or 20 years
time we will regret not building a tunnel to cater for the larger trailers."
"They say it would cost an additional euro 1 billion at this stage
to go back to the drawing board and increase the size of the tunnel. What
will it cost in 20-years time? The first cost is always the cheapest.
I think the project should be re-evaluated now."
And so say all of us.
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