David Labanyi
The National Roads Authority (NRA) has had a half-dozen inquiries from international firms interested in running the Dublin Port Tunnel when it opens in early 2006.
Mr Hugh Cregan, project manager with the NRA, says that a number of international operators have inquired about the fixed-price contract, expected to run for five years initially.
A track-record operating tunnels is essential, he says. This means most interested Irish companies will have to team up with an international partner. Formal expressions of interest must be lodged with the NRA before March after which they will be short-listed with the successful candidate in place by July.
The NRA is also examining how to best comply with the EU Tunnels Directive on road safety in tunnels, said Cregan. Under this directive an independent safety officer must be appointed to oversee safety plans and to co-ordinate with the emergency services.
Dublin Fire Brigade has begun training in responding to emergencies in the 4.6 km tunnel. A team of 12 officers has just returned from a week at Switzerland's Hagerbach fire training school near Zürich.
Mr Gabriel Howley, assistant chief fire officer with the brigade, said it choose this centre because of the practical experience available. "Switzerland has facilities where you can train and light fires in tunnels," he said. "They actually ignited two rows of cars and a truck with 100 pallets, so it was very, very hot, very smokey - everything we needed to train in."
Training will extend to stations close to the tunnel entry points and a tender has been issued for a special fire engine for tunnel emergencies.
Howley denied recent suggestions that the programme was behind schedule. "We are not dragging our heels. As far as I'm concerned we will be ready. We have the funding."
The issue of fire safety was raised recently by SIPTU on behalf of building workers in the tunnel. The union successfully demanded reinstatement of an emergency response unit which was stood down when the tunnel-boring machines left the site.
City council project manager Tim Brick stresses that, during the construction phase, evacuation, not fire fighting, is the primary goal, even for emergency response units. "Basically if they can't suppress a fire in 90 seconds all staff must leave. There are two tunnels with cross-doors every 250 metres so you're never more than 125 metres from an exit.
"There are extinguishers all along the route and a radio system to alert people. We also run a tally system so we know exactly how many people are on site."
Brick is keen to quash suggestions that the fire service would not respond to an emergency at the tunnel. "They will respond to a call-out in response to an incident and have said this in writing to the Health and Safety Authority and the contractor."
The final cost remained in the region of €715 million "with contingencies" and all civil engineering work should be finished by next February.
ANGER AT TOLL RISES: page 3