Dublin Port Tunnel opening date to be announced next month

darkman2

DCC have said they will be announcing the opening date next month. Im not sure whether the tunnel will be opening for the first couple of weeks to HGVs exclusively or whether cars will be allowed through from day 1. Perhaps someone could clarify. They must be opening it fairly soon, it seems pretty much complete and the European inspectors are probrably nearly finished. (they needed six months to test the various safety mechanisms and the integrity of the twin bored tunnel). The leaks have been fixed in 'as much as they can be' and Fairview park is now being filled in. The Gantries are up although some of the signs still arent, particularly on the M1 and lining has to be painted on the approach from the motorway. The grade seperated junction at the Eastwall is complete. The M50/M1 slip southbound is about to be realigned and then thats pretty much it. After 6 years of digging and construction we finally get the opening date:)

Bluetonic

They've only started to dig up the southbound carriage and grassy part of the M1 to upgrade it to three lanes southbound. That'll take a good few weeks anyhow if they work at the same speed as when they did the northbound section.

darkman2

Bluetonic wrote:

They've only started to dig up the southbound carriage and grassy part of the M1 to upgrade it to three lanes southbound. That'll take a good few weeks anyhow if they work at the same speed as when they did the northbound section.

Hi Bluetonic
But I dont understand that because the gantries they put up southbound before the tunnel are two lane gantries. Does that mean they have to put down new gantries:( It shouldnt take too long (I think that 3rd lane southbound was added late to the plan). The lanes northbound just need to be painted I think:)

spacetweek

darkman2 wrote:

It shouldnt take too long (I think that 3rd lane southbound was added late to the plan). The lanes northbound just need to be painted I think:)

It was added late; the section was completed as a 2-laner and now they're back at it, so they must have changed their minds. They should have tried to get 4 lanes in there while they were at it.

darkman2

spacetweek wrote:

It was added late; the section was completed as a 2-laner and now they're back at it, so they must have changed their minds. They should have tried to get 4 lanes in there while they were at it.

So the gantries are being taken down then:mad:

Well done DCC for another stunning piece of competence.

Traffic

opening date will be set sometime for end of august start of september

Bluetonic

Traffic wrote:

opening date will be set sometime for end of august start of september

Good idea to have in coincide with the extra traffic from the schools, colleges, holiday makers returning to the road alright :rolleyes:

Traffic

The Port tunnel was built to provide a dedicated access route to and from the port area for HGVs and not for commuting traffic
No matter when the tunnel is opening ud still have to have a moan about it

murphaph

Yes, let's just remember that the Port Tunnel is in fact one of the largest civil engineering projects underway anywhere in Europe right now. It's not a walk in the park doing these things and even the masters of tunnelling, the swiss, jae major problems from time to time. Tunneling is one of those things that you just can't be sure of until you start boring away.

Traffic

Well said murphaph!
seems like most people on here only can moan and complain bout it

Bluetonic

Traffic wrote:

No matter when the tunnel is opening ud still have to have a moan about it

You've no base whatsoever to make such an ignorant statement as above.

Traffic wrote:

The Port tunnel was built to provide a dedicated access route to and from the port area for HGVs and not for commuting traffic

My point on the having the port tunnel open (if it is going to be the case) during the first week of September is a shame as it would have been great to think it could have been phased in over the times when the traffic is much lighter, i.e from now until the last week of August. My concern is the area around the tunnel portals and the segration of traffic and inevitable accidents that will take place.

Traffic

Well i did say towards the end of August and that would be the last two weeks of the month, well just have to wait and see what the precise date is

Bluetonic

Traffic wrote:

Well i did say towards the end of August and that would be the last two weeks of the month, well just have to wait and see what the precise date is

My main concern would be over saftey at the tunnel portals on the northern end of the tunnel. Would be nice to think it could have been phased in over the times when the traffic is much lighter, ie now until the end of August. Inevitably accidents are going to happen in and around that area.

darkman2

Traffic wrote:

The Port tunnel was built to provide a dedicated access route to and from the port area for HGVs and not for commuting traffic
No matter when the tunnel is opening ud still have to have a moan about it

I have to disagree here. The port tunnel is not a 'dedicated' port access route for HGVs and if DCC council believe that then theyve been mislead. The port tunnel is the trojan horse for the Eastern bypass.

bringoutthegimp

What about the road joining the East Link bridge and the Tunnel? They haven't even finished one side of what looks like is going to be a dual carriageway..

?

murphaph

darkman2 wrote:

I have to disagree here. The port tunnel is not a 'dedicated' port access route for HGVs and if DCC council believe that then theyve been mislead. The port tunnel is the trojan horse for the Eastern bypass.

'Fraid not, the Port Tunnel was to be phase one of the Eastern Bypass. The Eastern Bypass is essentially dead but the tunnel slipped through the net. If our econmy continues to thrive (bif if, but possible) then I can see the port moving to Balbriggan to free up develpment lands. The tunnel will then be pretty redundant but could of course be used as an express Docklands<->Airport bus route or something.

I wouldn't like to be the government forcing the Eastern Bypass through the wealthiest parts of this state with the highest proportion of barristers and senior counsel per square mile! Did someone say "legal challenge"? Amaters like Salafia have elayed projects for years-imagine a couple of hundred top flight legal eagles dong it off their own bat?! :eek:

It's not going to happen and to be honest, we don't need it. At almost any point in the future it will be more advisable to spend such vast quantities of money on a metro line or more bus priority measures than such a road scheme.

darkman2

murphaph wrote:

'Fraid not, the Port Tunnel was to be phase one of the Eastern Bypass. The Eastern Bypass is essentially dead but the tunnel slipped through the net. If our econmy continues to thrive (bif if, but possible) then I can see the port moving to Balbriggan to free up develpment lands. The tunnel will then be pretty redundant but could of course be used as an express Docklands<->Airport bus route or something.

I wouldn't like to be the government forcing the Eastern Bypass through the wealthiest parts of this state with the highest proportion of barristers and senior counsel per square mile! Did someone say "legal challenge"? Amaters like Salafia have elayed projects for years-imagine a couple of hundred top flight legal eagles dong it off their own bat?! :eek:

It's not going to happen and to be honest, we don't need it. At almost any point in the future it will be more advisable to spend such vast quantities of money on a metro line or more bus priority measures than such a road scheme.

Well, firstly the vast majority of the route is through docklands and under the bay. Anybody who thinks thats impacting on their lives in D4 needs their head examined. It will have no effect whatsoever until it emerges somewhere near Blackrock and onward to the Leopardstown interchange on the M50. They will just have to grin and bear it in this locality. To prove that the Eastern bypass is very much on the agenda, that is why a north - south allignment for the port tunnel was selected. All analysts agree that if you wanted an exclusive access for port traffic you would have built a west - east allignment from the N4. No, the city manager and engineer, unlike DCC have their head screwed on, and they can object all they like. At the end of the day projects in the national interest always go ahead. Not one infrastructural project has ever been stopped. Some have been altered but never abandoned. Im very confident this vital project will go ahead and it wouldnt supprise me if Bertie Ahern made an annoucement on it around the time of the tunnel opening.

darkman2

Traffic wrote:

The Port tunnel was built to provide a dedicated access route to and from the port area for HGVs and not for commuting traffic
No matter when the tunnel is opening ud still have to have a moan about it

To refute this that tunnel should not have taken the amount of time it has to build. Even the Japenese construction firm responsible for the large chunk of the project dosnt know why its taken so long. Can you believe that. The bloody company (facing bankruptcy at the behest of this project) that built the thing dosnt know whats delayed it. They didnt realise what clowns they were dealing with in authority here. They wont be back.

Bluetonic

darkman2 wrote:

So the gantries are being taken down then:mad:

Well done DCC for another stunning piece of competence.

Drove by the works today, the gantry that had been up (involving weekend and evening closures of the raod) between the turnapin interchange and the santry interchange is now in three pieces on the ground on the side of the road. Digging out the old section of road and the grass central part is well under way.

darkman2

Bluetonic wrote:

Drove by the works today, the gantry that had been up (involving weekend and evening closures of the raod) between the turnapin interchange and the santry interchange is now in three pieces on the ground on the side of the road. Digging out the old section of road and the grass central part is well under way.

Oh dear, and how did you feel when you drove by it? A guerilla could plan things better perhaps?:)

BendiBus

It is now next month! We're half way through. What date will they announce the opening date? It still says "Summer 2006" on the DPT website.

Bluetonic

I see they've put up various bits and bobs around the southbound portal (M1) such as a sign with a large lorry on it directing lorries up the Coolock sliproad, also a lovely sign around 5 meters from the tunnel telling drivers to 'Turn on lights now'.

Anyhow they've also installed two set of traffic lights. One set which is right at the mouth of the tunnel and one set further back covering the three lanes (two for tunnel, one for Whitehall). Anyone want to take a guess at what these are for? They are hardly going to stop traffic on the motorway are they? I initally thought they were to use when the tunnel was closed but trucks etc.., can travel past the Coolock sliproad and then be stopped at the lights, also why the need to stop the lane of traffic to Whitehall.

I presume fun and games await.

Diaspora

Good to see traditional methods being kept in relation to the traffic lights;

where is the roundabout?

Bluetonic

Diaspora wrote:

where is the roundabout?

Probably one somewhere under Marino.

Metrobest

Bluetonic wrote:

I see they've put up various bits and bobs around the southbound portal (M1) such as a sign with a large lorry on it directing lorries up the Coolock sliproad, also a lovely sign around 5 meters from the tunnel telling drivers to 'Turn on lights now'.

Anyhow they've also installed two set of traffic lights. One set which is right at the mouth of the tunnel and one set further back covering the three lanes (two for tunnel, one for Whitehall). Anyone want to take a guess at what these are for? They are hardly going to stop traffic on the motorway are they? I initally thought they were to use when the tunnel was closed but trucks etc.., can travel past the Coolock sliproad and then be stopped at the lights, also why the need to stop the lane of traffic to Whitehall.

I presume fun and games await.

The lights at the mouth of the tunnel are standard practice in motorway tunnels. I imagine there will be a set of lights every hundred metres or so. In an emergency situation the lights can control traffic flow inside the tunnel.

I took a tour inside the port tunnel last year and what struck me most was the scale of it. Only the most monstrous super truck won't fit in it.

I think it's a fantastic piece of infrastructure so there is no excuse for any more trucks trundling up and down the Quays.

Incidentally, in motorway tunnels elsewhere in Europe I have noticed puddles of water (Bilbao) and expensive tolls (Pyrenees). So the Port Tunnel is in good company.

BendiBus

I still haven't heard anything. It's now the middle of July and the DPT website still just says "Summer 2006".

Bluetonic

BendiBus wrote:

I still haven't heard anything. It's now the middle of July and the DPT website still just says "Summer 2006".

Today 7th July 2006.