Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., at the Official Opening of the Limerick Tunnel on Tuesday, 27th July, 2010 at 1pm.
Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo libh inniu ag oscailt oifigiúil Thollán Luimnigh, ócáid a léiríonn príomhnasc eile i Shlí Bhóthar an Atlantaigh.
Táim cinnte go mbainfidh úsáideoirí bóthair an-leas go deo as an tollán nua seo atá mar chuid de líonra leithne bóithre den scoth atá le fáil ar fud na tíre anois.
Ba chóir aitheantas a thabhairt do gach duine a bhí pháirteach sa tógáil agus is mór an chreidiúint é an tollán iontach seo dá gcuid scileanna agus dá n-obair chrua.
Glacaim buíochas libh ar fad.
I am delighted to be here with you all today for the official opening of the Limerick Tunnel.
This is an important occasion for a number of reasons.
It delivers another key link in the Atlantic Road Corridor - a major focus of the Government's Transport 21 initiative.
It will make life a lot easier for the people of Limerick and beyond, and for all those who live and work in the City itself.
It will make it easier to attract investment to Limerick and the Mid-West as the economy starts to recover.
It is also important from a road safety point-of-view for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike, in that it separates the more vulnerable road users from heavy through traffic.
And it shows that we have developed the skills necessary to build a technically complex piece of infrastructure like this safely, ahead of time and within budget.
Yesterday, I announced the Government's Infrastructure Investment Priorities for the period up to 2016. Despite serious budgetary pressures, we are retaining a very large capital investment programme.
This tunnel is just one example of the legacy of the investments of recent years. There have been dramatic improvements in infrastructure right across the country - benefiting people in their daily lives, as well as making Ireland more competitive as a place to do business.
We have now identified a revised set of priorities given the progress in recent years and the need to drive sustainable economic growth and job creation.
The Atlantic Road Corridor, stretching as it does from the top of Donegal all the way to Waterford, via Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork, will be the primary focus of the roads element of the Government's Transport 21 Initiative, once the major interurban routes are completed at the end of this year. I believe that the next link to be put in place will be the Gort to Crusheen section of the N18 which, I understand, may well open ahead of schedule later this year.
The people of Limerick have waited for this day for a long time. People will be able to go about their business in Limerick City without having to endure traffic jams and inevitable delays even on relatively short journeys. We now have an alternative crossing of the Shannon that will take large amounts of through traffic away from the approach roads to Limerick City and its suburbs and return those streets to their residents.
The Limerick Tunnel is part of a much wider network of world-class roads being delivered all across the country. As many here will know, we are in the final stages of a project that will deliver hundreds of kilometres of motorway linking Dublin with Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. Known collectively as the Major Interurban Routes, they are providing a reliable, fast and safe means of transporting people and goods between the major centres of population and our major sea and airports.
The M1 Dublin to the Border, the M4/6 Galway and the M7/8 Cork roads are completed. The final section of the M9 Dublin to Waterford road is due for completion in the very early Autumn. The final sections of the N7 to Limerick will follow shortly afterwards.
Together with other initiatives, the new roads are making this country a more attractive place for international investors. Gone are the bad old days of 3, 4 and even 5 hour journeys to and from Dublin, Cork or Galway. Today, these journeys can be reliably completed in fractions of these times.
I believe the delivery of this road network is a wonderful achievement. The real judges of the wisdom of delivering these roads are, of course, the motorists who use them. They are reaping the rewards daily, as are the people of the towns and villages that have been bypassed.
Roads such as the one we are opening today have made a major contribution to the reduction in road traffic collisions and subsequent injuries and fatalities. The Road Safety Authority, the Gardai, the NRA and Local Authorities, as well as central Government, have also played their part from the engineering, education and enforcement perspectives. Sadly, no matter how much we, as a nation, invest in road safety, we cannot replace personal responsibility as a causative factor in many fatal or serious traffic accidents.
The simple, undeniable fact is that we are human and we all make mistakes. All of us should remember this when we get behind the wheel of a car. Going too fast for the prevailing road conditions can turn a simple mistake into an awful tragedy. Can I repeat the messages that come from all those involved in road safety once again? Please slow down; leave the phone alone; and if you drink, stay away from the wheel.
This has to be among the most technically complex pieces of civil engineering ever to have been delivered in Ireland. It is a credit to all who have been involved in its construction at all levels and from all professions. Every one of you can take pride in what you have achieved here today. The Limerick Tunnel will remain as a lasting testament to your skills and hard work long into the future. Thank you one and all.
ENDS.