FOR more than 30 years, as the Environmental Impact Statement says, consideration has been given to developing schemes to improve access to Dublin Port, which handles a third of Ireland's sea trade, including over 60 per cent of container traffic.
Trade reached almost 12 million tonnes in 1995 and could exceed 13 million tonnes this year. But "the costs and delays incurred in travelling through the city" could limit this growth, the study warns.
In October, 1994, after the issue had been examined in detail as part of the Dublin Transportation Initiative and an alternative scheme for an east west, Liffey tunnel was rejected, the Government sanctioned plans for a northern port access route.
Though the DTI's consultants recommended a two lane single carriageway, the then Fianna Fail Labour coalition decided to double its capacity, arguing that this would do more to relieve traffic congestion on existing roads and that it could be done for a relatively marginal extra cost of around Pounds 20 million.
Consultant engineers, Ove Arup and Partners, and the Austrian group, Geoconsult, which advised Dublin Corporation on plans for a complete Eastern Bypass motorway, were appointed in August, 1995, to design the scheme - a mainly tunnelled four lane dual carriageway - and prepare an environmental impact statement.
As described by its designers, the scheme is about five kilometres long, linking Whitehall with the north port area. It includes one kilometre of twin "cut and cover" tunnels and 2.4 kilometres of twin bored tunnels, with associated interchanges including a new single spanbridge over the River Tolka. The cost is estimated at Pounds 130 million.
It follows a broad north south route in its path from Whitehall to the port. Entrances to the tunnel - called portals - would be built just south of the Shantalla Road bridge over the M1, with a single lane slip road for city bound traffic and another for traffic heading towards Dublin Airport and the main road to Belfast.
In other words, as currently designed, the airport motorway would run directly into the proposed tunnel traffic bound for the city centre, via Drumcondra Road, would have to use the slip road. This is one of the more contentious aspects of the scheme, as it suggests that the tunnel has been designed as the first phase of an Eastern Bypass.
The route would be constructed in cut and cover tunnel as far as Collins Avenue - which would not be linked to the scheme, as proposed earlier - and would then continue in bored tunnels under the grounds of Highfield Hospital, and beneath Griffith Avenue, from where it would swing eastwards towards Marino.
At Fairview Park the bored tunnel construction would end and another cut and cover tunnel would run through the park and beneath the Dublin Belfast railway line to its southern portals east of Alfie Byrne Road. It would then cross the River Tolka via a twin single span bridge to end at a proposed North Port Interchange.
The interchange would be linked to East Wall Road at Tolka Quay Road and the main entrance to the port would be relocated to Promynade Road. Provision for tolling facilities would be made at the inter change, if a decision was made to toll the route following a separate public inquiry.
The EIS estimates that the overall scheme would result in almost Pounds 560 million in travel time savings, giving it an 18 per cent rate of return. One of its priorities is to reduce the environmental impact of port related traffic 7 particularly heavy goods vehicles in the city centre, thus relieving road space for improved public transport.
Traffic projections indicate that a large proportion of the vehicles using the route would be cars, rather than trucks, and the study suggests tolling the route to manage this phenomenon. According to a table in the EIS, citybound traffic in the morning peak period when the road opens in 2001 would consist of 2,020 cars and 210 trucks.
"Insofar as commuters would be able to utilise the proposed scheme, it would provide a further corridor into the city centre," the EIS says. "The possibility of tolling the proposed scheme as a traffic management measure has been catered for should it be determined that such a strategy be adopted".
It is also envisaged that hazardous cargoes such as petrol tankers - would be allowed to use the tunnel, subject to compliance with EU regulations and management practices. Closed circuit TV and fire alarm systems would be installed in the tunnel, as well as an emergency water supply, in the event of fire.
The proposed Dublin Port Tunnel is being implemented by the corporation on behalf of the National Roads Authority. For it to proceed, however, it will need the support of a majority of city councillors to make a "variation" to the 1991 Dublin City Development Plan, taking the findings of the EIS into account.
In addition, the EIS and statutory "motorway scheme" must be submitted to the Minister for the Environment and, in view of likely objections - particularly from residents of Marino - he would order a public inquiry before making a final decision. Assuming approval work would start in 1998, with the road opening to traffic in 2001.
Copies of the three volume EIS, including detailed maps, and the non technical summary may be inspected at the Civic Offices, Wood Quay, during normal office hours. Alternatively, a full set of documentation may be bought from Dublin Corporation's road engineering department for Pounds 30.