The private operator of one of the country’s busiest motorway toll plazas has been urged to open the barriers for Cork and Clare fans travelling to this year’s All-Ireland hurling final to avoid a repeat of the scene on Sunday when Cork and Limerick fans experienced long delays.
Cork Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard said MidLink M7/M8 which operates the toll plaza of the busy M7/M8 toll near Portlaoise should intervene to ensure all Cork and Clare fans don’t miss the high-profile match because of traffic delays at the toll plaza.
“Last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final between Cork and Limerick was a classic in front of a full house in Croke Park. The only downside to a wonderful day was the traffic congestion and delays due to the tolls on the motorway.
“It was chronic at the Laois toll plaza and thousands suffered major delays as a result of the bottleneck. Many turned off the motorway and travelled other routes to try and make the game on time,” he said.
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Senator Lombard said that MidLink M7/M8 Ltd was appointed by Celtic Roads Group (Portlaoise) Ltd to manage toll collection at the M7/M8 Toll Plaza in Laois as part of a 30-year public-private partnership scheme. In 2037 it will revert to public ownership.
“There were long delays particularly at the toll outside Portlaoise where all the traffic from Limerick and Cork merged. We can’t have a repeat for Cork and Clare fans when thousands upon thousands of hurling fans will be using the M7 motorway to get to the All-Ireland.
“If the toll can’t deal with the volume of traffic, the barriers should be opened to prevent significant delays. We need a proper plan put in place by the toll operators to prevent bigger delays for those trying to get to Croke Park for the 3.30pm throw in.”
Senator Lombard said that it was fortunate there were no reports of any collisions last Sunday given the huge volume of traffic as Cork and Limerick fans headed to Dublin for what turned out to be a thriller, but steps need to be taken to ensure safe, free-flowing traffic for the final.
“The toll could be made free, and all barriers lifted for traffic northbound from 10am until 2:30pm to allow fans to get to Croke Park, and then again from 5:30pm until 10.30pm to allow southbound fans a quicker journey back home.
“Given the All-Ireland hurling final is once again an all-Munster affair with supporters travelling from Cork and Clare, we can expect the same traffic congestion with over 82,000 supporters travelling to Croke Park and many seeking to use the M7 or the M8.
“MidLink need to guarantee Cork and Clare supporters they will not only get to the All-Ireland final on time, but also that they can expect to be back home at a reasonable time after the match, by opening the toll barriers,” he said.
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