THE National Roads Authority has "put on hold" its controversial plan to toll the M50 Dublin bypass motorway pending a study of the traffic management implications.
Mr Liam Connellan, the NRA's chairman, said there was "significant concern" that the imposition of tolls on the route could divert large volumes of traffic onto residential roads in the vicinity, to the detriment of their environment.
After the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howl in, had expressed such concerns in the Dail last March, the NRA decided the issue of tolling needed to be examined more intensively and had invited the Dublin Transportation Office to take part in a Joint study.
Speaking at press conference on the publication of the NRA's second annual report, Mr Connellan said this study would be undertaken as soon as possible. The aim would be to quantify the volume of traffic on the M50 which was likely to be "diverted" by toll charges.
Mr Michael Tobin, the NRA's chief executive, denied this represented a "rethink" on tolls, which have been vigorously opposed by the AA and other interests. But he said three tenders for the M50 franchise had been "put on hold" pending the study's outcome.
Asked if the NRA would use its reserve powers to override the Dublin City Plan if the city council failed to amend it to include the proposed port tunnel, he said he did not want to get involved in speculation, but this would only be done "as a last resort".
Describing the £130 million tunnel project as "vital" to prevent Dublin Port becoming "strangulated", Mr Tobin said lie was sure councillors would see its value and amend the city plan accordingly. "Otherwise, it would fall back on the NRA to ensure that it happens."
Mr Connellan said it was hoped work would start next year on the Southern Cross route, linking Tallaght with the N11 Dublin Rosslare road. The final section of the M50, it was held up for two years by a legal challenge, which was ultimately settled out of court.
Under the current EU funded transport programme Mr Connellan said the NRA's aim was to increase the proportion of the national road network which met modern standards from 35 per cent to 53 per cent by the year 2000. But this would leave 47 per cent of it "deficient".
The NRA has initiated a national road needs study to identify requirements beyond 2000, both for improvements and maintenance. Its first report is due by the end of this year and is expected to outline what further road investment would be needed to meet traffic growth projections.
The NRA allocated £215 million in road grants last year for the improvement and maintenance of the national road network, nearly 11 per cent more than the previous year. On average, 70 per cent of this came from EU grants, with the remaining 30 per cent met by the Exchequer.
During 1995, five new roads - a total of 25 kilometres - were opened to traffic. This year, it is expected that nine major schemes will be completed and six more started, while construction work continues on a further 12 projects including the Lee tunnel in Cork.
Mr Connellan stressed that better roads also improved road safety. He said the authority wanted to bring road accident rates down to "the lowest level in the European Union". At present, Ireland's death and injury toll on the roads is about the middle of the EU range.
The NRA was also working to improve road signage and markings, he said.
