Cullen defends most expensive toll road charge
The project clears a notorious bottleneck and will cut 20 minutes off peak-time journeys between Dublin and Galway/Sligo.
Opening 10 months ahead of schedule, the 50-kilometre bypass is also the longest single road contract undertaken in Ireland.
There will be a toll charge at Kilcock in Kildare, where motorists will pay an initial fee of €2.40, which will rise to €2.50 in January (the toll at Dublin’s West Link is €1.80).
Local opposition TD Paul McGrath said people using the bypass for work will face a €25 extra charge every week.
Mr Cullen yesterday defended the toll levels: “A road this length in continental Europe would cost about €18. It will dramatically reduce journey times for commuters and business people, who are getting a very good return for their money.”
The new bypass means it is now possible to travel on continuous motorway and dual carriageway from Dublin to west of Kinnegad on the N6 (a distance of 55km) and from Dublin to west of Mullingar on the N4 (a distance of 74km).
Mr Cullen also said the opening, 10 months ahead of schedule, proved that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) deliver projects faster, efficiently and at little or no extra cost to the taxpayer.
Mr Cullen said lessons have been learned from the West-Link experience and strong safeguards have been built in to prevent PPP companies earning super-profits and to ensure a high level of toll plaza performance. “The fact alone that the Kilcock/Kinnegad toll concession was only awarded following a strongly-competitive procurement process contributed substantially to a good outcome from a value for money perspective.”
The PPP accord states:
* Each automated toll collection express lane will allow unhindered passage of a vehicle with valid easy pass.
* The average queue of vehicles calculated will be no greater than six vehicles.
* The queue of vehicles in any toll lane will not exceed 12 vehicles at any time.
The PPP company will be fined or have the contract terminated if it doesn’t comply with the accord.
Peter Malone, chairman of the National Roads Authority said 2005 has been a highly successful year for PPP schemes, with two projects coming in ahead of schedule. “PPP schemes are firmly on the agenda in Ireland in order to meet the growing need here for a top-class infrastructure,” he said.
