Tunnel closure for safety upgrade put back a week

Nightly closures of the Jack Lynch tunnel in Cork for a fire safety upgrade have been postponed for a week.

It had been expected that the tunnel would be closed on a nightly basis from tonight, with the exception of Friday nights, to facilitate the three-month €5m project.

However, engineers confirmed last night that the night closures will not now come into effect until next Sat, Sep 8.

But work on the EU-directed project will still get under way this morning.

The nightly closures will begin next Saturday, with both lanes closed to traffic between 9.15pm and 7am, six nights a week.

A dedicated lane will be kept open in the tunnel for the duration of the works for emergency service vehicles.

The contract, which is still due to be completed in November, involves a massive retrofitting of fire retardant slabs to the tunnel walls to bring it into line with new EU standards.

High-quality calcium silicate cement boards will be bolted to the walls and ceiling of the tunnel structure.

The passive fire resistance of the Hatfield Tunnel, the Holmesdale Tunnel and Dartford Tunnel, all on the M25 in England, and the Clyde Tunnel, are also undergoing upgrades, as are other similar tunnels across Europe.

Motorists can sign up to receive text or email updates on the planned closures by logging on to www.jacklynchtunnel.ie