Dublin City Council's strategy to keep heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) out of the city centre during the day after the port tunnel opens will now be introduced on a phased basis over two years, pending completion of upgrades to the M50.
The council is recommending to Minister for Transport Martin Cullen that access routes to Dublin Port via East Wall Road and Seán Moore Road should be maintained in the meantime.
The recommendation follows a period of public consultation on its draft HGV management strategy.
From 2008, following the implementation of barrier-free tolling on the M50, the proposed ban on HGVs in the city centre would be extended to remove all surface access to the port between 7am and 7pm and the restrictions extended to four-axle articulated vehicles.
According to the National Roads Authority, 2008 would see the completion of the first phase of the M50 upgrade between the N81 and the N4 junctions and the replacement of the current West-Link toll plaza with a "fully electronic gantry-based tolling system".
On the contentious issue of "supercube" trucks that are too high to fit into the port tunnel, the council is recommending that no special provision will be made for them in either phase. Hauliers using such trucks are being put on notice to make alternative arrangements.
The council wants Mr Cullen to make the necessary regulations so that its revised strategy can be implemented two months after the opening of the port tunnel later this year "provided all the necessary tunnel safety and traffic management systems are operating satisfactory".
City manager John Fitzgerald said the council was "taking a responsible middle ground that will see everyone involved in this debate share the gain and the inevitable pain" associated with a such major change in the way the haulage industry operates.
He said the port tunnel, costing at least €752 million, would provide a four-lane route that "will allow them to travel, free of charge, between the M50 and Dublin Port in around six minutes, saving them time, fuel and the stress and aggravation of negotiating the city streets.
"To realise the full potential of the tunnel, port-related HGV traffic must be removed from the city. The HGV strategy we are recommending today is a major step toward the realisation of a city environment that emphasises public transport, pedestrian and cycling amenities."
In its submission supporting the draft strategy's broad thrust, An Garda Síochána drew attention to the fact that since October 2003 there have been 16 fatal traffic collisions in the city centre involving HGVs, resulting in 19 fatalities.
The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) opposed the proposal to close access routes to the port via Seán Moore Road and East Wall Road, saying that this "unwelcome development ... may simply result in the transfer of problems to other areas and result in longer trips".
