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The Dublin Port tunnel may have to close for “extended periods” due to Brexit-related traffic congestion in the new year, according to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
There is a risk that the tunnel will have to be closed for extended periods during times of congestion, “said Pat Maher, director of network management at TII.
Mr Maher spoke to journalists yesterday about the new color-coded traffic management system to deal with Brexit delays due to customs checks.
The Department for Transport is bracing for traffic chaos in Dublin Port, the Port Tunnel and around the capital once the UK’s Brexit transition period ends on December 31st, when the new customs regulations.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan today announced a traffic management plan to deal with long queues approaching the port and traffic jams around the M1 / M50 interchange.
The plan, formulated by a traffic management group that includes the Department, TII, Dublin Port Company, An Garda Siochána and others, includes the management of heavy vehicle (HGV) queues on the M1 and M50, Indirect parking in the motorway and airport service areas. and emergency response facilities to return trucks through the tunnel.
Measures will be introduced as required based on conditions, which will be monitored by TII and the Port of Dublin.
The color code (green, amber, red and blue) covers all scenarios, from “business as usual” to “emergency port tunnel closure”.
The shutdown will be triggered by backups at East Wall Road and Eastlink Bridge, but stacked parking lots will be used away from the port to mitigate those issues.
Normal traffic conditions around the port are usually green or amber.
Only with major adverse events, such as bad weather or major car accidents, does traffic hit red levels. The conditions to trigger a blue alert have never been reached.
John Fairley, manager of land operations at the Port of Dublin, said a red alert indicated “imminent danger” of overflowing traffic from the port onto East Wall Road in the city or onto the Eastlink Bridge.
A blue alert would indicate that all roads in the port are congested and that planned measures would go into effect, such as rejecting heavy vehicles and diverting traffic to spill sites in North Dublin.
Officials expect potentially high levels of congestion and traffic diversions from January 1, when new rules for trade between the European Union and Britain come into force.
Carriers will not be able to board ferries to the UK from early 2021 unless they have completed all the necessary business documentation in advance, a rule that is expected to create delays due to administrative controls.
“No matter what happens in the ongoing Brexit negotiations, there will be major changes in the way we do business with the UK from January 1,” Ryan said. “This traffic management plan … is designed to deal with any congestion that may arise due to the increased level of controls at the port of Dublin and to minimize the impact on the port tunnel, nearby motorways and the rest from the city “.
Online editors
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