Dublin Port Tunnel Tolls Reduced
On the 8th December 2009, the NRA Board approved the reduction of toll charges at the Dublin Port Tunnel, which links Dublin Port to the M1 and M50 at Swords. The changes will take effect from the 2nd January 2010.
- At peak times of 4PM to 7PM Northbound and 6AM to 10AM Southbound the current €12 toll will reduce to €10 starting 2nd January 2010.
- At all other times the toll will be reduced to €3 starting 2nd January 2010.
- From 25th December 2009 to 2nd January 2010 all tolls will be €3. (No Peak time toll rate)
Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman of the NRA stated:
“The NRA Board is very pleased with today’s announcement, but remains committed to maximising the Dublin Port Tunnel usage primarily for HGV traffic. The reduction in tolls off peak should assist in offering people options when travelling to Dublin City for business or tourism.”
Mr. Fred Barry, CEO stated:
“The new toll charges for the Dublin Port Tunnel will continue to give priority to heavy goods vehicles and buses, while using residual capacity in a safe and effective manner. We are very pleased that the progress of the M1/M50 roadworks, combined with the opening of the new Macken Street bridge, allows us to reduce these tolls.”
Current traffic numbers (October-2009)
Weekdays Average Daily = 15,300 (about 6,300 HGV’s)
Weekends Sat/Sun = 8,500 (about 1,700 HGV’s)
Dublin Port tunnel opened to traffic on 20th December 2006. It is a twin bore tunnel of 4.5km in length with a height clearance of 4.65m. It links to the M50 motorway and completes the northern part of the C-Ring around Dublin city. It is a dedicated route for Heavy Goods Vehicles between the Port, located in the heart of the city, and the national motorway network.
The traffic utilisation of the Dublin Port Tunnel is governed largely by the capacity of the road network at either end of the tunnel. A key component of the operation of the tunnel is to ensure that congestion on the exiting surface routes does not create any risk of vehicles being unable to exit the tunnel safely and quickly in the event of a tunnel incident.
In the south the limiting factor has been East-Link Bridge and the roundabout at the Point Depot. At the northern end of the tunnel, the evening peak hour has seen frequent queuing in the area of the M1/M50 junction. Recent developments have addressed these constraints. At the southern end, the opening of the new Macken Street bridge will provide additional Liffey crossing capacity. At the northern end, the upgraded M50/M1 junction together with additional lane capacity allows for increased traffic movements. These events facilitated a review of the DPT toll charge structure.
Current 2009 Tolls:
| Direction of Travel | Days of Week | Time Period | 2009 Toll |
| Southbound | Mon - Fri | 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. | €12.00 |
| Southbound | Mon - Fri | 10 a.m - 10 p.m. | €6.00 |
| Northbound | Mon - Fri | 6 a.m - 4 p.m. | €6.00 |
| Northbound | Mon - Fri | 4 p.m - 7 p.m. | €12.00 |
| Northbound | Mon - Fri | 7 p.m - 10 p.m. | €6.00 |
| Northbound & Soundbound | Sat & Sun | 6 a.m - 10 p.m. | €3.00 |
| Northbound & Soundbound | Mon - Sun | All times other than 6 a.m - 10 p.m | €3.00 |
New 2010 Tolls – The new simplified and lower charging structure is below:
| Direction of Travel | Days of Week | Time Period | Recommended 2010 Toll |
| Southbound | Mon - Fri | 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. | €10.00 |
| Southbound | All other times | €3.00 | |
| Northbound | Monday | 4 p.m. to 7 p.m | €10.00 |
| Northbound | All other times | €3.00 |
When using the Port Tunnel, remember to remove sunglasses and turn on dipped headlights before entering the Tunnel. Ensure that you have enough fuel for the 5.6km journey and tune into FM radio to hear any instructions the Operator may issue while you are within the Tunnel. Also note that the Tunnel closes overnight, between 11pm and 7am the next day on both Friday and Saturday nights, to accommodate standard weekly maintenance work.