Survey: Tackling bottlenecks would boost trade activity

IMPROVING bottlenecks at key locations such as the Jack Lynch tunnel in Cork would result in a major boost to business and trade.

This is one of the findings of a survey conducted among freight transport operators and exporters, contained in a report launched yesterday by InterTradeIreland and the IBCE/CBI Joint Business Council.

The report found a pressing need to improve local access routes adjacent to a number of the country’s ports and airports.

Locations that should be looked at include: Belfast Port and Belfast International Airport, Northern and Southern Relief roads in Drogheda, and the Jack Lynch Tunnel and N28 to Ringaskiddy in Cork.

Though upgrades to a number of these routes are contained in various investment plans, the report said it is important to implement improvements early enough to support the rapid expected growth in port traffic.

It also said port capacity is currently stretched and will need to expand in the medium term to cater for continued freight growth.

InterTradeIreland board member and local businessman Ray Doherty said: “The port at Cork is getting busier all the time, so anything that can be done to move freight quickly and efficiently over those last couple of miles will not only ease congestion on access roads, but boost trade and business as well.

“Like many Irish ports, Cork depends on swift transit across the GB land-bridge to remain competitive. Nationally, around 100,000 vehicles every year travel in each direction and feedback from businesses is indicating that congestion and poor access to ports are imposing additional costs.”

In the previous decade, containerised traffic going through the island’s ports increased by 125%.

The report also revealed that the rate of growth in both car and HGV traffic on Irish roads and ports is running close to double that assumed in various forecasts and used by government to plan infrastructure investments in Ireland.