Madam, - The Dublin Port Tunnel has come in for much criticism since its inception, but only as its opening date draws near has its impact on the M50 been discussed.
Those of us who drive (or crawl) along this road regularly have known for at least the past 12 months that there is no more room on the M50 for any more cars, let alone 6,000 trucks a day. Where are they going to go?
When the tunnel was in the planning stages, the M50 was imagined as a motorway whisking those smelly, noisy trucks out of the city and on to a fast-moving motorway.Fifteen exhausting years later, things are very different.
If it is envisaged that after December 20th all port traffic will be banned from the quays and will be forced to use the tunnel and M50, that chaos and gridlock will rapidly ensue. Trucks will be backed up in the tunnel trying to get onto the ramp to the M50 and airport traffic will be seriously disrupted.
I confidently predict that this decision will be quickly reversed and that trucks will be rumbling once again down our city quays before January is out. Left to find their own way out of the city, only trucks travelling to and from Belfast will regularly use the tunnel. Watch this space. - Yours, etc,
DEIRDRE KING, Glasnevin Avenue, Dublin 11.