Dublin City Council and the National Roads Authority have said that the Dublin Port Tunnel "fully satisfies" the fire safety and ventilation systems required by a draft EU directive on tunnel safety.
They were responding to a report in The Irish Times yesterday, which said access to the port tunnel would have to be restricted to ensure free-flowing traffic at all times in order to guarantee safety in the event of fire.
In a statement, they said a recent audit had confirmed that the €650 million port tunnel "meets all of the safety provisions" in the draft EU directive, which sets down best-practice standards for road tunnels throughout Europe.
"Having examined the various ventilation systems available and the operational traffic-management measures applying, both Dublin City Council and the NRA are satisfied that the system being installed provides the best level of safety for users of the tunnel."
The council's director of traffic, Mr Owen Keegan, said a "completely misleading" impression had been given that a forthcoming management strategy for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) was required to ensure safe operation of the tunnel.
He stressed that this strategy, due to be published next week, was "completely separate" from the issue of the ventilation system and was designed to maximise use of the tunnel for port access as well as dealing with HGVs that were not port-related.
Mr Keegan said he was satisfied that tankers and other HGVs carrying flammable or hazardous materials could be safely accommodated in the tunnel, though special loads travelling under escort would be subject to certain restrictions.
"There was an implication [in The Irish Times report] that we have compromised safety, but I don't accept that. We believe the tunnel can be operated safely and that imposes an additional onus in terms of traffic management."
A senior officer in the Fire Service said personnel had not yet been given any training on how to respond to an accident in the tunnel. "I'd estimate that 800 would need to be trained up and provided with long-duration breathing apparatus."
Mr Tim Brick, project manager for the port tunnel, said the Fire Brigade had been visiting the construction site on a regular basis and, by the time it was finished in August 2005, an emergency response plan would be put in place. The project team was starting the procurement procedures to select an operator for the tunnel.
"Parallel with that, an operational plan will be drawn up - every tunnel has one - and that will lay down the emergency procedures."
Mr Brick said that, in the event of a fire, the traffic in front of it would get out of the tunnel while fans would blow smoke away from any stationary traffic behind it. The fire would also trigger alarms, overhead detectors and cameras to pinpoint it.
He also noted it had been policy from the time the project was conceived in 1994 to restrict traffic access to the port tunnel, with toll-free priority for HGVs and tolls on cars to deter commuters from using the route at peak times.
Though it would have the capacity to take 70,000 vehicles per day, Mr Brick said allowing that number of cars to use it as a new access route to the city centre would set aside its primary purpose of accommodating around 9,000 HGVs per day.
In their joint statement, the city council and the NRA said it was in Dublin's interest that the tunnel would take as many HGVs off the streets as possible. "Private traffic will be discouraged and diverted by a toll - at 2001 prices, €5 per car."
