Dublin Chamber is delighted to welcome the opening of the Port Tunnel, adding another major piece to the infrastructure jigsaw for Dublin city and the Greater Dublin Area. Its completion contributes greatly to improving the city’s transport deficit and freeing up the city centre for shoppers, workers and tourists.

“With congestion costing business in the region of €2.5bn annually, any piece of transport infrastructure which shall substantially increase road space on routes into the city centre is a welcome addition”, says Gina Quin, Chief Executive Dublin Chamber of Commerce. “However, for the long-term competitiveness of Dublin it is critical that the Port Tunnel is effectively integrated with all other elements of Dublin’s transport system. The immediate establishment of the Dublin Transport Authority must be the next step in the completion of the infrastructure jigsaw puzzle. This body must ensure that effective investment and clear decision-making is driving the delivery of Transport 21”.

“Due to the existing lack of coordinated management, there is little evidence of any synchronization between the delivery of new transport projects and the upgrading of existing facilities. This gives rise to some concerns about the consequence of placing so many additional vehicles directly onto the M50”, says Gina Quin. “However, we hope that with the swift creation of the DTA under Transport 21, this situation shall never be repeated”.

"We believe that the transport deficit in Dublin has being neglected for too long, making Dublin city a less attractive location when benchmarked against competing international cities such as Barcelona, Singapore and New York. The redirecting of vehicles through the Port Tunnel is a positive step in transforming Dublin city centre into a lively retail, residential, leisure and entertainment hub for both residents and tourists alike. It should also prove to be a great asset in helping to move goods to and from Dublin Port”.