Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

Cullen to turn first sod on €370m Shannon tunnel road project

By Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent
THE first sod on a road tunnel under the Shannon — the biggest engineering project ever undertaken in the mid-west — will be turned in Limerick today by Transport Minister Martin Cullen.

The €370 million project will involve the construction of 9.7 kilometres of four-lane roadway of which 900 metres will run beneath the Shannon. The tunnel element will cost in excess of €150m and is expected to be completed in 2010.

Limerick County Council acquired more than 500 acres of land to make way for the new road.

It will be tolled by the building group Direct Route, which includes Roadbridge Ltd, owned by Limerick businessman Pat Mulcaire.

The tunnel road will run from Rosbrien on the southside of the Shannon to Corcanree on the Clare side.

The National Roads Authority held an oral hearing in Limerick two years ago on the tolls issue. Road hauliers warned a toll would discourage lorry owners from using the tunnel.

Planners say the road tunnel will divert more than 40,000 vehicles a day away from the congested city centre.

The tunnel option was chosen by Limerick County Council following a report in May 2001 by consultant engineers MC O’Sullivan & Co and Danish company COWI.

A high level bridge was rejected at an early stage.

The consultants also discounted a low level bridge crossing on the grounds the bridge would have to open for shipping and this would delay peak traffic.

Nice to see the tunnel project moving along anyway. entire ring road should be finnished by 2010.