Underwater tunnel highway set to open for traffic next year

THE massive tunnel highway being built under the Shannon near Limerick city is ahead of schedule and likely to be open for traffic by September 2010.

It will cut travelling times for thousands of commuters every day, connecting all the main routes along the western corridor between the west, the south and the south west. It will bypass Limerick city.

The tunnel is a key element of Limerick’s new Southern Ring Road, a 9.7km four-lane highway. The tunnel will run for 900m, of which 675m will be under the Shannon.