An official opening date for the Dublin Port Tunnel is due to be announced within two weeks, with a 10km charity run through the tunnel planned in advance of its opening.
Dublin Port Tunnel yesterday confirmed that an announcement on the opening date was imminent, with testing of the safety control systems due for completion by the end of October. An opening date in November is now expected, according to a spokeswoman for Dublin Port Tunnel.
The tunnel authorities are in the process of organising a charity run through it, which will take place the weekend before its official opening.
To date, 25 charities have contacted tunnel management in an effort to glean funding from the event. However, the event is expected to operate in similar fashion to the annual women's mini-marathon in Dublin city centre, which invites members of the public to register their names and the charity for which they wish to fundraise.
The 10km charity run is expected to commence at the East Wall toll plaza and proceed to the northern end of the tunnel before returning to the finishing line at the East Wall toll plaza.
Trucks will be able to use the tunnel free of charge, but cars and light commercial vehicles will have to pay tolls which were announced earlier this year at rates varying between €3 and €12, according to the time of day.
Yesterday's confirmation of a planned opening date announcement and charity event came amid claims by Independent TD Finian McGrath that water is leaking into the tunnel, resulting in a complete resurfacing of parts of the roads and cracks in the walls. Three weeks ago, some 2½km of "substandard" road was resurfaced.
It has also been claimed that the surface around the toll plaza at East Wall may have to be resurfaced in the coming weeks as the current surface is uneven.
Mr McGrath said he had "major concerns" about the future operation and safety of the tunnel. "In the last six or seven days, I have received more and more complaints about leaks and serious cracks. In the last two days I can't count the number of complaints I have received from residents about cracked walls and increased noise around the area of Fairview," he said.
However, the Dublin Port Tunnel spokeswoman said there are no leakages causing any concern, adding that when incidents of leakages had occurred, they had been dealt with immediately.
In January, reports suggested that water was leaking into the tunnel at the rate of half a litre per second.
In July, the chief executive of the National Roads Authority, Fred Barry, said all leaks had been dealt with during construction. "There are no leak issues on the tunnel," he said.