Truckers to get exit priority after day of Port Tunnel chaos

TRUCKERS have been informed that priority will be given to heavy goods vehicles exiting Dublin Port via the new tunnel after major traffic congestion was reported in the area yesterday morning.

The chief executive of the Dublin Port Company, Enda Connellan, complained that there was serious traffic delays at the port for several hours because of traffic signalling problems.

However, Dublin City Council later advised port users that traffic light sequences had been altered in conjunction with the opening of the €751 million Dublin Port Tunnel on Wednesday to divert heavy goods vehicles to the new 4.5km underground link to the M1 and M50.

“While trucks were previously given priority to go through the city up to 6.45am, they now have absolute priority through the tunnel,” said Brendan O’Brien of the council’s Office of the Director of Traffic. “The sequencing of lights on the city North Wall quays reflects that.”

Before the opening of the DPT, traffic lights were sequenced to give priority to trucks heading towards the city centre.

Mr Connellan expressed annoyance that goods vehicles had been held up by a backlog which had stretched all the way back up to the deepwater quays within the port.

“It is frustrating for my customers as the traffic within the port was an absolute mess,” said Mr Connellan.

Dublin City Council has also decided that it will continue to close the DPT between 11pm and 4.30am for a number of weeks to facilitate final calibration of the tunnel’s systems. However, the local authority stressed that the tunnel will be open in time for the arrival of the first ferry each morning.

“We advised in advance of the opening that the Dublin Port Tunnel would close regularly, particularly in the early days to allow for the fine tuning of systems,” said Hugh Creegan of the National Roads Authority.

It is estimated over 2,000 trucks leaving Dublin Port have used the tunnel in its first 24 hours of operation. It represents around 46% of all traffic exiting the port.

Jimmy Quinn, spokesperson of the Irish Road Hauliers’ Association described tailbacks yesterday morning as “unfortunate”.

However, Mr Quinn said the problem had arisen from a lack of awareness among a large number of drivers about the opening of the tunnel. He claimed many truckers had heard rumours that the tunnel was closed, without realising that it had only been shut down on a temporary basis.

“It seems that one driver just tended to follow another towards the city centre instead of the tunnel,” said Mr Quinn.

The tunnel is to remain closed to cars until late January, while five-axle lorries will be banned from the city centre from February 19 unless they have a permit.