YEARS OF construction work on Dublin’s M50 motorway come a step closer to conclusion this morning with the opening of the third lane in both directions between Junction 10 at Ballymount and Junction 14 at Sandyford.
However, motorists face the possibility of a rise in toll rates in the summer due to a change in the VAT code. This is despite the fact that VAT was already budgeted into the toll price when the now State-owned West Link section of the motorway was in private hands.
The latest milestone in the upgrading of the M50 opening comes one week after the opening of a third lane, plus an auxiliary fourth lane connecting junctions, on the M50 northern section in both directions between Junction 3 M1/airport and Junction 6 M3/Blanchardstown on Monday last.
Between both openings there will be a combined 22km of additional motorway added to the M50 mainline.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) has said this will improve traffic flow along the entire M50 corridor.
However, work is continuing on junctions along the M50, including the Ballymun, Ashbourne, Blanchardstown, Tallaght and Firhouse junctions.
Ballymun is to be completed by early next month; Ashbourne by late spring; Blanchardstown by the end of the year; Tallaght by mid-March; and Firhouse by early March.
A NRA spokesman said a number of ancillary slip roads which have been completed for some time but which have remained closed will be opened in tandem with the junctions.
The addition of the third lane in the Sandyford to Tallaght area is also expected to ease considerable congestion around the Ballinteer roundabouts and associated approach roads.
The NRA has also said it is examining a European Court of Justice ruling referred to by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan in the Finance Bill which will require public bodies to charge VAT on items such as road tolls from July.
A spokesman acknowledged that VAT had previously been charged by the private operators of the West Link before it was bought out by the State in 2008.
As public bodies such as the roads authority could not charge VAT at that time, motorists may have expected toll rates to drop. However, the authority decided not to reduce tolls. Instead the roads authority maintained tolls at the same level, keeping the VAT for itself.
The spokesman said it was too early for the authority to say what would now happen in the light of Mr Lenihan’s Finance Bill announcement that from July VAT should be charged by public bodies.
He acknowledged the issue was whether the authority would add VAT to the current rates or cover the cost itself.
