| Location | Limerick, Ireland, crossing the River Shannon |
|---|---|
| Route | N18 |
| Start | August 2006 |
| End | June 2010 |
| Opened | 27 July 2010 |
| Length | 675 metres (740 yd) (immersed tube tunnel section) |
| Lanes | Two cells of 2 each |
| Height | 4.65 metres (15 ft) (external) |
| Toll | €2.30 (cars)[1] |
The Limerick Tunnel (Irish: Tollán Luimnigh[2]) is a 675-metre (2,215-foot),[3] immersed tube tunnel[4] underneath the River Shannon on the outskirts of Limerick city. The tunnel forms part of the N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road. The tunnel is tolled.
Construction
Construction was carried out by a consortium of Strabag, John Sisk & Son Ltd, Lagan Holdings Ltd and Roadbridge Ltd.[5] Traffic and Transportation planning was undertaken by Colin Buchannan and Partners. Dredging work for the tunnel trench was carried out by Dutch company Van Oord. The immersion process of floating the tunnel elements out into the Shannon was carried out by another Dutch company, Mergor.
The total cost of construction was €660 million.
Opening
A pedestrian open day was held on 19 June 2010, with official opening to traffic by the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, on 27 July 2010, two months ahead of schedule.[6]
Tolling
The Austrian EFKON Group commissioned, built and currently operate two toll collection locations, one ten-lane and one six-lane plaza, both staffed.
The tolling locations are both north of the Shannon. One is between junctions 3 and 4 of the N18, and the other is between N18 junction 3 and the Clonmacken Roundabout.[7]
See also
- Jack Lynch Tunnel, on the N40 southern ring road of Cork
- Dublin Port Tunnel
- Atlantic Corridor, ongoing construction of major roads along the west side of Ireland
- Roads in Ireland
References
- ^ "Direct Route". Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "Rátaí Dola". eToll. Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
- ^ "Index". Limerick Tunnel. Archived 14 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Limerick Tunnel : Tunnel Design". Archived 1 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Limerick Tunnel". Road Traffic Technology. Archived 3 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Limerick Tunnel opens to motorists". RTÉ News. 2010-07-27. Archived 1 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
- ^ "Limerick Tunnel PPP Route Between M7 Junction 30 and N18 Junction 4". Archived 10 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 May 2020.