Port tunnel is open

darkman2

http://www.dublinporttunnel.ie/press_and_media/press_releases/Dec_20th_Tunnel_Opening.pdf

but not to cars for another month.

lostexpectation

bertie is opening it and santa is there

where that infamous christmas card of ivor calley's?

Archeron

Great to see it opening, I hope its a resounding success. Congrats to all 5000 people involved.

Ice_Box

Each millimeter cost €167.00

BendiBus

And it's live(ish) on the Interweb!

http://www.dublinporttunnel.ie/traffic_cam/

Archeron

Ice_Box wrote:

Each millimeter cost €167.00

I can tell you something that costs more per millimetre than that, but I'd probably get a ban.

Traffic

The official ribbon cutting was held this morning but the tunnel has not officially opened to traffic as yet!!
so it hasnt been closed!!!

Jip

It was open earlier today to traffic with the first truck taking 20 minutes to get to the toll bridge so unless it was only opened to one truck earlier as a publicity exercise it has been closed again.

BendiBus

So when does it actually open to traffic? I was looking forward to a HGV-free walk up the quays from work this evening.

darkman2

Traffic wrote:

The official ribbon cutting was held this morning but the tunnel has not officially opened to traffic as yet!!
so it hasnt been closed!!!

Your probrably right. Strange they would turn the lighting and signage off:rolleyes:

Traffic

This morning the northern bore was used to allow vehicles leave the opening cermony. Bertie was driven through it in a hgv!!
It was not intended for the tunnel to open directly after this cermony
the tunnel should be fully open within the hour

Ice_Box

AA roadwatch says

The M50 Dublin Port Tunnel official opening ceremony took place this morning and the tunnel has now opened in the last few minutes to HGV's

markpb

http://www.dublinporttunnel.ie/press_and_media/press_releases/Dec_20th_Tunnel_Opening.pdf

After the first few weeks of operation, when average truck numbers using the tunnel are known, the tunnel will be opened to cars on payment of the toll.

jkgvfg

"The M50 Dublin Port Tunnel is due to open very shortly to all HGV's following this morning's official opening. Gardai advise that the northbound bore of the tunnel will open at approx. 3.30pm and the southbound bore will open at approx. 4pm." AA Roadwatch, updated! Hopefully no-one is stuck in the middle.

darkman2

Well we have only waited 5 years for the thing to open, whats another 10 minutes;) BTW apparently there are queues of trucks waiting at one or both ends of the tunnel. Hopefully they get where they are going soon.

dRNk SAnTA

Could someone tell me, is a 5 axle truck one that has 5 sets of wheels (including the cab)? Excuse the dumb question.

BendiBus

dRNk SAnTA wrote:

Could someone tell me, is a 5 axle truck one that has 5 sets of wheels (including the cab)? Excuse the dumb question.

Yes. An artic usually has 5 axles (2 under the cab, 3 at the back of the trailer) or 6 axles (3 under the cab & 3 under the trailer)

I think most fixed trucks are 3 or 4 axles

dRNk SAnTA

BendiBus wrote:

Yes. An artic usually has 5 axles (2 under the cab, 3 at the back of the trailer) or 6 axles (3 under the cab & 3 under the trailer)

I think most fixed trucks are 3 or 4 axles

Good stuff, thanks.

homeOwner

So whats the latest? Anyone know how traffic on the M50 is effected by the tunnel opening?

Ice_Box

homeOwner wrote:

So whats the latest? Anyone know how traffic on the M50 is effected by the tunnel opening?

I can see the M50 from my window here in Finglas and I can tell you it’s almost completely stopped. But it’s usually like that around 5pm. The queue to put your money in the basket is about 10k long.

Flukey

It is great to see it open, but as in many other cases around the country now, it should not have any tolls.

mike65

Should'nt there be a truck lane for the West Link?

Mike.

mackerski

mike65 wrote:

Should'nt there be a truck lane for the West Link?

There is - it's the one on the left. That's why no cars drive there.

cast_iron

BendiBus wrote:

So when does it actually open to traffic? I was looking forward to a HGV-free walk up the quays from work this evening.

I'm not so sure it will be HGV free.
For a start, the trucks are not banned yet. Secondly, while it may only take 20mins (off peak) to get to the M50 via tunnel, the trucks must pay the M50 toll - a deterrent.
And isn't the plan that when the ban is implemented in Feb - it will only be 7am - 7pm?

Tarabuses

It may be open but the queue of trucks on the norh quays this evening didn't look any different to other evenings.:(

Alun

cast_iron wrote:

For a start, the trucks are not banned yet. Secondly, while it may only take 20mins (off peak) to get to the M50 via tunnel, the trucks must pay the M50 toll - a deterrent.

I don't think €9.40, spread over the total value of the cargo on the average truck coming from the port is going to make anybody lose any sleep is it? An extra few cents on the cost of a plasma tv or €0.0000000001 (v. rough estimate!) on a box of cornflakes is chicken feed.

Lennoxschips

cast_iron

Alun wrote:

I don't think €9.40, spread over the total value of the cargo on the average truck coming from the port is going to make anybody lose any sleep is it? An extra few cents on the cost of a plasma tv or €0.0000000001 (v. rough estimate!) on a box of cornflakes is chicken feed.

That doesn't make any sense at all. What has the value of the goods on board have to do with a toll.

What the haulier gets is a fee to transport "a load" - be that a cargo of rubbish or a cargo of plasma screens, it will be the same (or very similar).
You send 5 trucks through the toll daily (each way) and thats not far of 200 euro straight out of the hauliers pockets straight away.


Edit: In any case, are both tunnels open? It didn't appear so earlier on the news. That could explain all the trucks still on the North Quays, though I still reckon there will be plenty of them in the evenings in any case.

dRNk SAnTA

Well the toll is the same for everybody so what is the problem.

johnnyrotten

dRNk SAnTA wrote:

Well the toll is the same for everybody so what is the problem.

What?

Alun

cast_iron wrote:

That doesn't make any sense at all. What has the value of the goods on board have to do with a toll.

It has everything to do with it. I'm assuming here that the haulier passes on the extra cost of the toll onto the customer, i.e. the supplier/distrubutor, who in turn passes it onto the end customer, i.e. you and me. There's no reason at all why he should have to fund this himself and not pass it on. The paltry sum of €9.40 on top of what the haulier is already charging will be but an insignificant blip on the horizon compared to the total value of the goods, and will therefore have a minimal relative knock on effect on the end-price the consumer pays, whether it's a few cents on a relatively small number of high-value goods, or a tiny fraction of a cent on much higher numbers of low-value ones.

cast_iron

Alun wrote:

It has everything to do with it. I'm assuming here that the haulier passes on the extra cost of the toll onto the customer, i.e. the supplier/distrubutor, who in turn passes it onto the end customer, i.e. you and me. There's no reason at all why he should have to fund this himself and not pass it on. The paltry sum of €9.40 on top of what the haulier is already charging will be but an insignificant blip on the horizon compared to the total value of the goods, and will therefore have a minimal relative knock on effect on the end-price the consumer pays, whether it's a few cents on a relatively small number of high-value goods, or a tiny fraction of a cent on much higher numbers of low-value ones.

There's alot wrong with that logic, if you ask me. The main one being that in such a cut throat game, lowest price wins - so unless EVERY haulier raises his fees, it won't work like that. With so many hauliers in the game, fees are going nowhere.
Also, if one avoids the M50 toll, then he gets a couple of hundred quid in his pocket every (daily). Much better than raising prices and risk losing business. If anything, it could lower prices - so it's even less likely the cost will be passed on to the companies.

europerson

How soon do people think cars will be allowed in?

Victor

europerson wrote:

How soon do people think cars will be allowed in?

They expect a month.

Alun

cast_iron wrote:

There's alot wrong with that logic, if you ask me. The main one being that in such a cut throat game, lowest price wins - so unless EVERY haulier raises his fees, it won't work like that. With so many hauliers in the game, fees are going nowhere.
Also, if one avoids the M50 toll, then he gets a couple of hundred quid in his pocket every (daily). Much better than raising prices and risk losing business. If anything, it could lower prices - so it's even less likely the cost will be passed on to the companies.

Well, give it a while and they won't have any choice in the matter if Dublin City Council get their way and place an outright ban on truck movements along the quays, and rightly so, otherwise the whole exercise will have been in vain.

Easy Rider

I believe trucks will be banned from going into the city from the 17th of January. I work on the quays and the same amount of trucks were still on the quays as any other time at 6pm....going home up the east wall was great, no traffic from the point up through the alfie burn road into clontarf and fairview...

highdef

just wondering....a lot of articulated trucks driving round are only 4 axle. As in the 2 axles at the cab end but only 2 more axles on the trailer. I see this a lot. I feel this is a big flaw and that 100's of artic trucks will still be able to plod up and down the guys. Does anyone agree?

cast_iron

highdef wrote:

just wondering....a lot of articulated trucks driving round are only 4 axle. As in the 2 axles at the cab end but only 2 more axles on the trailer. I see this a lot. I feel this is a big flaw and that 100's of artic trucks will still be able to plod up and down the guys. Does anyone agree?

Kind of....there are some good reasons why 4 axle trucks should be allowed - one big one being that ALOT of 4 axle trucks are effectively "local tucks", ie. not "long distance" trucks. This would include cement lorries, block lorries, Guinness trucks, etc.....in other words ALOT of trucks that simply MUST be allowed between the canals or the port restriction would be too stringent. Any ban won't be restricted to the Quays, so please don't use it as the be all and end all to the idea of the ban. It's the City Centre in general that is supposed to benefit from the Port Tunnel.

From what i remember, the ban is planned from 7 to 7 only. The ban isn't in yet and I saw plenty of trucks coming up Dame St this evening.

Also, having taken a quick glance at the traffic cam, it appears that no trucks are in the tunnel right now - both tunnels have cars parked across the carraigeways! - and i've still to see a truck heading from Whitehall to the Port.

Victor

highdef wrote:

just wondering....a lot of articulated trucks driving round are only 4 axle. As in the 2 axles at the cab end but only 2 more axles on the trailer. I see this a lot. I feel this is a big flaw and that 100's of artic trucks will still be able to plod up and down the guys. Does anyone agree?

The intial ban will be against 5-axle (or more) vehicles. Then against 4-axle in a few years time. A permit system will exist for local deliveries.

admiralofthefleet

does anyone have any idea on the current state of affairs with regards to the eastern bypass, i heard something about a tunnel to link up with the m50 south of the city, so in essence creating a complete circle of motorway around dublin.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/9553299?view=Eircomnet

Port tunnel opens with aim to take HGVs off city streets
From:ireland.com
Wednesday, 20th December, 2006

The €752 million 4.5km (2.8 miles)Dublin Port Tunnel is to be officially opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today, 12 years since the project was sanctioned by the government and more than five years after construction began.

The tunnel is designed to remove heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the city's streets and, the project engineers claim, will bring lorries, toll-free, from the port to the M1 in less than eight minutes.

The absence of a toll for HGVs is an incentive to use the tunnel before it becomes a de facto compulsory route when the Dublin City Council HGV management strategy comes into force in February.

From February 19th all lorries with five axles or more will be banned from the city area between the Royal and Grand canals and parts of surrounding suburbs.

So called over-height vehicles, also known as "super cube" HGVs, which cannot fit in the tunnel due to its 4.65 metre operational height, will be directed along a specific route, allowing them to exit the port on East Wall Road.

However, the Government is considering banning these lorries, which account for about 2 per cent of trucks entering the port daily, from the State.

Trucks delivering to city businesses will be given permits to exempt them from the ban.

Cars using the tunnel will be heavily tolled. Drivers heading to and from the port at peak times, in the morning for northbound cars and the evening on the southbound tunnel, will be charged €12. The remaining daytime rate for cars will be €6, with an overnight rate of €3. At weekends there will be just two charges: €6 by day and €3 by night.Cars will not be permitted to enter the tunnel until after the first three to four weeks of operations.

Initially the tunnel is expected to carry more than 6,300 HGVs and buses each day, with that number increasing after the February ban. This should remove a considerable amount of traffic from the city.

The ban is also intended to increase safety on the city streets following the deaths of several cyclists involved in collisions with lorries.

However, the ban is likely to have the opposite effect on M50 traffic. The Irish Road Haulage Association claims that congestion on the M50, which is already at a standstill for significant lengths of time each day, will increase following the opening of the tunnel as HGVs travelling from the south and southwest, which would have used city streets to reach the port, will now have to take the M50 around to the north of the city to get to the tunnel.

Mr Ahern and the National Roads Authority have also said that the tunnel by itself will not be a panacea for all of Dublin's traffic ills. An eastern bypass which would link the port with the southern end of the M50, most likely via another tunnel, has been mooted for many years, but is not included in the Government's Transport 21 plan, while proposals to make the M50 toll-free have, to date, fallen on deaf ears.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/9553501?view=Eircomnet

Last-minute changes to ease tunnel gridlock
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 20th December, 2006

Secret NRA contingency plan would help trucks access M50

DESPERATE last-minute changes are planned to avoid 'hairy' traffic manoeuvres after the €751m Dublin Port Tunnel finally opens today.

A secret National Roads Authority (NRA) contingency plan involves the painting of an effective 'new lane' to make it easier for HGVs exiting the tunnel on the M1 to get onto the M50.

The eleventh-hour changes sparked new fears that they will just add to gridlock at one of the country's busiest junctions.

The reconfiguration of the lanes a few hundred metres from the tunnel exit at Whitehall would give trucks a second option of getting onto the M50 via the M1 interchange where there are traffic lights.

Sources said last night the new traffic changes will only be introduced if the current configuration does not work out today.

Under the current plan, truck drivers exiting the tunnel on the M1 will have just one kilometre of frequently jammed roadway in which to change lanes and get onto the M50.

Cars and trucks who want to stay on the M1 will have to fight their way across a wave of HGVs trying to make the tricky manoeuvre.

They will have to cut across one of the fastest-moving traffic lanes in the country.

This has sparked concerns for the existing traffic as it battles with the trucks on inter-weaving lanes.

The stand-by NRA plan being considered by Dublin City Council involves painting a split lane to provide two ways for trucks to get onto the M50.

They will then have the choice of staying in the middle on the motorway and then veering left up to the M1/M50 interchange. Thousands of extra trucks will flood onto the already-congested M50 from the tunnel.

They will hold up traffic as they scramble to get across lanes in time to link up with the M50.

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has warned that truckers will be involved in "hairy manoeuvres" to get onto the M50 after they leave the tunnel.

Serious questions have also been raised about the effectiveness of the tunnel in easing the capital's notorious congestion problems, especially along the M50 and key approach arteries.

On the day the tunnel opens, up to 1,500 extra heavy trucks every day will join the long queues for the Westlink toll booth on the M50, where major road works are continuing.

This is expected to add to the daily tailback of 100,000 vehicles on the country's worst traffic blackspot.

Jimmy Quinn, IRHA spokesman, warned that many trucks had blind spots and would not be able to see any saloon car "idling beside them in the inside lane".

Treacy Hogan

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1220/tunnel.html

Port tunnel opens after last-minute delay
20 December 2006 23:17
Dublin Port Tunnel was opened to trucks this afternoon after suffering last-minute delays.

The trucks had had to wait an extra an hour and a half after the planned opening time before being allowed to use the €750 million tunnel.

Operators of the new route had promised to open it 'after lunch' but there were delays because of the large number of people attending the opening ceremony.

The tunnel was opened to trucks shortly after 3pm. A spokesperson said it took longer than anticipated to complete final safety checks.

The project was officially opened this morning by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and Dublin's Lord Mayor, Vincent Jackson.

The first truck went through it shortly after 10.50am.

The tunnel, which is 4.5km long, has taken over five years to build. It is designed to reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles using the streets of central Dublin.

It will allow a toll-free journey for trucks and buses between the port and the M1 motorway at the Coolock interchange, in less than eight minutes.

It is estimated that, initially, some 6,000 such vehicles will use the tunnel every day.

Although the project is behind schedule, the National Roads Authority and Dublin City Council are hoping that it will improve traffic in the city centre in the coming weeks.

The Irish Road Haulage Association claims that congestion on the M50 motorway will increase as a result.

The tunnel will not be open to cars until the New Year.

loyatemu

admiralgar wrote:

does anyone have any idea on the current state of affairs with regards to the eastern bypass, i heard something about a tunnel to link up with the m50 south of the city, so in essence creating a complete circle of motorway around dublin.

its not officially planned at all, but various business interests and many within the council want to see it built. I believe there is land reserved for it around stillorgan and sandyford.

Wishbone Ash

BendiBus wrote:

I think most fixed trucks are 3 or 4 axles

Most rigid trucks (flatbed, boxes, curtainsiders, and fridges) travel on 2 axles.

3 axle rigids are quite uncommon nowadays as most have gone to 4 (e.g. tippers). The exception would be 3 axle tractor units when travelling solo.

The vast majority of 4 axle rigids are tippers, concrete or refuse trucks which require a 32 tonne GVW.

Tom Dunne

From http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1221/tunnel.html

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Chief Executive of Dublin Port, Enda Connellan, has complained of severe delays for heavy goods vehicles at Dublin Port this morning.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mr Connellan said the Port Tunnel was closed for more than five hours overnight without the Harbour Police being informed and that there was a change in the traffic light sequence resulting in drivers facing red lights for a long time.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hugh Creegan of the National Roads Authority said the Harbour Police had been informed of the overnight tunnel closure and that road signs were also carrying the information. He denied that the organisation of traffic was a mess and said it was always the intention for the tunnel to be closed overnight in the initial weeks of its opening.[/FONT]

What are they up to? Opening it and then closing it for the night?

ciarsd

More info on it here:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=CWSNAUCWOJCW

spacetweek

tom dunne wrote:

From http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1221/tunnel.html



What are they up to? Opening it and then closing it for the night?

Check out the radio reports in that link. They closed it for inspection after its first day of operation. It was planned all along.

Seth Brundle

It may have been planned all along but it looks like they forgot to tell everyone else.

Anyhow, given that the Govt is planning on banning artics from the city centre, does anyone know how far the boundary of this ban will extend?
Given that they expect an average of two closures per month due to accidents and one every two months for maintenance, what will happen the trucks etc?

Wishbone Ash

kbannon wrote:

does anyone know how far the boundary of this ban will extend?

Map here: http://www.dublincity.ie/Images/cordon%20map_tcm35-39392.pdf

kbannon wrote:

and one every two months for maintenance

AFAIK routine maintenance will be done at off peak times where possible.

Stark

Took the M50 from the N3 interchange to the N2 interchange today at around 1:00. The traffic going the other way barely seemed to be moving and the left lane was full of trucks. I can only imagine the chaos when they close off the city centre to trucks. Ah well, Dublin City Council will still be happy; it's Fingal's problem now

Celticfire

Stark wrote:

Took the M50 from the N3 interchange to the N2 interchange today at around 1:00. The traffic going the other way barely seemed to be moving and the left lane was full of trucks. I can only imagine the chaos when they close off the city centre to trucks. Ah well, Dublin City Council will still be happy; it's Fingal's problem now

I can only imagine it's going to be hell, thankfully I live out the M4...

Seth Brundle

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Map here: http://www.dublincity.ie/Images/cordon%20map_tcm35-39392.pdf

according to that, if there is a problem with the tunnel (incident or whatever) then the trucks cannot leave the port area. That should prove popular with the truckers!