Border becomes blurred as new road opens

It may have been billed as "historic" and "unprecedented", and the international media may have been looking on, but yesterday's opening of the Ireland's first cross-Border motorway between Newry and Dundalk was somewhat like a boys' reunion.

As Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern - who comes from Dundalk - approached assembled dignitaries, the chairman of the National Roads Authority and fellow Dundalk man Peter Malone rushed forward to welcome the Minister to, er, Co Louth for the ceremony opening the €154 million project.

Mr Malone then introduced Jimmy Quinn of the Irish Road Haulage Association, but Mr Quinn and Mr Ahern are old pals, Mr Quinn coming from the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth - "or over beyond that field - explained Mr Quinn pointing.

Conor Murphy the North's Minister for Regional Development is also from the area. "I am from the other side of that hill" he said pointing to a field on the Armagh side of the new motorway.

In fact the actual location of the Border along the M1 Dublin to Belfast motorway is now hard to establish.

On the northbound carriageway a small sign advises speed limits are "now in miles per hour", while on the southbound side an enormous green sign proclaims motorists are heading for Dublin. The speed limit for cars in the North is 70mph about 2.5km/h less than the 120km/h limit in the South.

The opening of the 14km, A1/N1 dual carriageway between Newry and Dundalk took place five months ahead of schedule. The first major inter-urban (MIU) route between Dublin and Belfast will save motorists up to half an hour at peak times on the journey between the two cities.

Mr Ahern said it was an "absolutely historic day", noting that the North South Ministerial Council had decided in the last few weeks to bring forward further improvements taking the motorway as far as Larne in the North, and Rosslare in the South.

Mr Malone was quick to intercede when the Minister was asked about the three tolls (the East-Link, the Port Tunnel and the M1 toll) between south Dublin, where he works and Co Louth where he lives.

"There will be no talk about tolls anyway," Mr Malone cut in, ushering the Minister away before turning to explain in a tone that appeared both urgent and pained: "I am planning to ask him for an extra half- billion a year".

Mr Malone said he had identified projects costing about half a billion euro on which he would like work to start.

"We could bring forward some of the later projects in Transport 21," he said

Specifically he said such money would bring forward schemes in Adare, Co Limerick, south of Rathnew in Co Wicklow and in Macroom Co Cork, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the alliance between Irish contractors Siac and Spanish company Ferrovial, Pedro Martinez said it had now become involved in five motorway projects. The company would be happy to bid for more. "But first, I am going home to Barcelona for a holiday."

It was left to the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness to comment on tolling issues. Many times he had been happy to pay the M1 toll he said, rather than sit parked in traffic in Drogheda.

But he added "any attempt to increase the amount of tolls would be met with considerable resistance".