Drogheda bypass opens amid concern over tolls

Three Government Ministers, a former Taoiseach, five members of the Orange Order and a host of dignitaries turned out for the opening of the new M1 Gormanston to Monasterboice motorway yesterday.

The opening which took place on the new 400-metre cable-stay bridge over the Boyne outside Drogheda, was performed by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan.

The Minister pointed out that 14 kilometres of the new 21.5-km road are in Co Meath, the constituency of Mr Noel Dempsey, his predecessor with responsibility for roads. The other seven-and-a-half kilometres are in Co Louth, the constituency of another Cabinet colleague Mr Dermot Ahern, both of whom were present.

Mr Brennan paid tribute to the "enthusiasm" of Mr Ahern and Mr Dempsey for the project, but said the sudden downpour of rain was the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, who was not present.

He said that while the Boyne bridge was the State's first cable-stay road bridge, the first real cable-stay bridge, the Luas bridge, was in his own constituency in south Co Dublin. However, he acknowledged the Luas bridge was "about a quarter of the size of the Boyne bridge".

Although Mr Brennan remarked on the beauty of the bridge, particularly evident when illuminated at night with fibre optic technology and spot lights, the members of the Orange Order present at the opening called it a "necessary evil".

Mr Fraser Agnew, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said, with a twinkle in his eye, that he and the other members of the Orange Order present were there to ensure the sanctity of the nearby site of the Battle of the Boyne.

Mr Agnew said his fellow members, Mr Jackie Hewitt, Mr Billy Patterson, Mr Gerry Douglas and Mr Willie Brennan were concerned at the "desecration" of the Boyne Valley by the rubbish and the proximity of a cement factory, and he speculated there might be some cultural begrudgery involved.

However, he said the bridge was useful to unionists like himself who regularly visited their friend, the former mayor of Drogheda, Mr Sean Collins, "a republican, but probably the greatest living authority on the battle of the Boyne".

Former Taoiseach Mr John Bruton had doubts about whether the tolled road would see the promised 15,000 vehicles a day from Drogheda and Julianstown. "I am not against tolls per se," he said. "But the Government should think again about tolling bypasses - you might see traffic remaining in the towns."

The president of the Drogheda Chamber of Trade, Mr Hubert Tully, made the point that "with tolls, there is a €4.20 extra cost in shopping in Drogheda now. That is €1.50 per toll in and out, and two hours shopping at 60 cents an hour."

The chairman of the National Roads Authority, Mr Peter Malone, urged people to remember Naas, Co Kildare, which was now a thriving town, but where people once had the same fears about its bypass.

Yesterday's opening is to be followed on June 27th by the opening of two additional sections of motorway - Cloghran to Lissenhall and Lissenhall to Balbriggan - on the Dublin to Belfast route.