Expert: Cork city needs extra river crossing
Late-night gridlock in Cork, caused when roadworks clashed with an overnight closure of the Jack Lynch Tunnel, demonstrates that the city needs a second river crossing, an international expert said.
Arnold Dix, an engineering, legal, and safety expert, and independent disaster investigator who is in Ireland to conduct ‘health checks’ on the Jack Lynch and Dublin Port Tunnels for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) made his comments after witnessing the traffic snarl-ups late on Tuesday.
Prof Dix said he would have expected “better co-ordination” between the various authorities but was struck by how “fragile the flow of traffic” is around the city.
The dependence of the city on the tunnel which handles up to 100,000 vehicles a day, and the resultant traffic chaos when it is closed, should send a clear message to the local and state authorities that a solution is required.
“Tunnels, especially older ones like the Jack Lynch Tunnel, have to be closed for the maintenance and safety works,” Prof Dix said.
“That is nothing out of the ordinary. But if closing one lane on a dual carriageway at the same time can cause such difficulties, especially at off-peak times, then city planners must know there is a need for alternative relief. That’s a second tunnel.
“Should the gridlock have happened? No. Do I understand why it happened? Yes. I would have expected better co-ordination between all the players.
The traffic jams highlight how fragile existing arrangements are.
The tunnel closed for routine maintenance at 9pm on Tuesday while lane restrictions were in place on the main diversion route along the Lower Glanmire Road to facilitate Irish Water pipe laying. Motorists were caught in traffic jams for hours, with reports of tailbacks until 1am. Cross-city journeys, which would normally take 20 minutes through the tunnel, took up to 90 minutes.
In the context of Brexit, and with planned population growth in the Metropolitan Cork region, Prof Dix said it is essential that preparations are made now to make the region’s road network more resilient. He will include his observations in his final report to TII before the year-end.
TII said it arranges and agrees all closures of the Jack Lynch Tunnel with Cork City Council at least six months in advance, and the closures are advertised at least 30 days in advance.
A spokesman said both TII and Irish Water attended a traffic meeting on October 17 where Irish Water, the council, gardaí and other stakeholders were reminded of the tunnel closure and the resulting increased traffic on the Lower Glanmire Road.
“At no point was TII requested to defer the planned closure,” it said.
TII said the scale and scope of the maintenance operations are extensive, with up to 80 maintenance staff on site on Tuesday and 100 on Wednesday. The works included safety inspections and functional checks; inspection of lighting and controls; repairs to tunnel doors; the maintenance of fire extinguisher, fire mains, hose reels and the servicing of fire detection and alarm systems; the inspection and service of tunnel joints; the cleaning of jet fans and the replacement of one fan; the cleaning of gully and drainage systems; the installation of some fibre optics and additional CCTV systems ahead of the Dunkettle interchange upgrade, and repairs to message signs.
