Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Traffic management in general is a matter for the appropriate local authority and in the case of the M50, the city centre and the vicinity of Dublin Port, that authority is Dublin City Council.

As a major new element in the capital's road network, the port tunnel will have a considerable beneficial impact on traffic flow in the Dublin area. It will be of particular benefit in facilitating improved access to Dublin Port for heavy goods vehicles while reducing HGV traffic in the city. The National Roads Authority and Dublin City Council are working to ensure that the tunnel, when open, will integrate smoothly with the road network.

In parallel with the opening to traffic of the Dublin Port tunnel, Dublin City Council will be introducing a heavy goods vehicle traffic management strategy to ensure that maximum traffic benefits are secured from the Dublin Port tunnel.

My Department's formal role will be to put in place the necessary regulatory framework relating to traffic and parking management and road signage to support the strategy. In addition, the Department will continue to liaise with Dublin City Council as the strategy is finalised, so that I may be assured that the primary objective of the Dublin Port tunnel — to provide a high quality access route to Dublin Port for heavy goods vehicles — is achieved in a manner which maximises the overall traffic benefit of the tunnel. The issue of increased traffic on the M50 due to larger volumes of heavy goods vehicles must be considered in the context of the current average of 85,000 vehicles per day on the West Link section. In the first half of this year, between Monday and Friday, average daily traffic was running at 98,000 vehicles. The solution to peak hour congestion on the M50 requires the implementation of the M50 upgrade project and, as part of this, a move to free flow tolling at the West Link bridge.

In this context, the M50 upgrade motorway scheme and environmental impact statement were published in September 2004 and approved by An Bord Pleanála in April 2005. The upgrade involves the widening of approximately 32 km of the motorway from two to three lanes in each direction, from the M50-M1 interchange near Dublin Airport through to the Sandyford interchange, and the upgrade of ten junctions along this length. The NRA envisages that a design and build contract will be awarded by December 2005 for phase 1, the N4-N7 section, and a contract to expand the West Link section operated by National Toll Roads to three-plus-three motorway will be awarded during 2006. The public-private partnership contract for the remainder of the upgrade project is also expected to be awarded during 2006.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The NRA, in the context of the proposed upgrade of the M50, is in negotiation with National Toll Roads regarding the upgrade of the section of the M50 operated by NTR. These negotiations are addressing the upgrading of both the road section and the tolling arrangements. No policy direction has been given to the NRA under section 41 of the Roads Act 1993 in the context of these negotiations. The NRA is, however, well aware of my objective to secure significantly enhanced capacity and an increased level of service on the M50 for road users, including through an early move to barrier free tolling. The NRA will report to me on the outcome of these negotiations.

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