Fears over the impact of last weekend’s severe flooding may affect the €448 million Dublin Port Tunnel project were played down this evening by Dublin city council engineers.
Project Engineer for Dublin City Council, Mr Sean Wynne, told ireland.comit is unlikely the flooding will impact on the construction of the tunnel.
He said Dublin Corporation have been asked to establish the highest level recorded during the floods and it will be assessed how that will impact on the tunnel’s design.
The concern centres on the planned entry portal for the tunnel at the Tolka River, near East Point Business Park, where a bridge is to be built.
Mr Wynne said the flood levels will be checked against the design for the bridge to ensure it is high enough. Even if the design has to be adjust the project would not be delayed for more than a couple of days.
A report from the Dublin Corporation is expected on Monday.
Mr Wynne also emphasised that no construction works related to the tunnel or any city council works would have feed into the flooding in the East Wall area on Friday night.
Meanwhile the controversy over the proposed height of the Tunnel continues to rumble with Fine Gael’s Mr Richard Bruton today demanding that the Government provide explain fully why the tunnel will not be suitable for 10 per cent of heavy good vehicles.
Mr Burton claimed the city manager’s assertion that the tunnel designs adhered to EU requirement. He asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Noel Dempsey, to get !proper and adequate answers".