LATEST: Another incident reported; calls for fines to be issued as 'overheight vehicles' cause repeated issues at Jack Lynch Tunnel

LATEST: Another overheight vehicle has caused issues at the Jack Lynch Tunnel this morning, as calls have been made for the issues to be tackled. 

Transport Infrastructure Ireland reported the incident in the south lane of the tunnel shortly before 8am, at peak time for commuters. 

The incident was soon reported as cleared but will strengthen calls for the issue to be tackled. 

EARLIER:  Labour local area rep Peter Horgan has said that companies will have to start being fined for breaching overhead height regulations at the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

Commuters in Cork have faced disruption on a number of occasions in recent days and weeks due to over-height vehicles approaching the tunnel.

“These breaches of height at the tunnel which results in closures southbound or northbound is happening far too much and the snarling impact of traffic throughout the city and the Ring Road is impacting people too much,” Mr Horgan said.

“We need to send a message to those companies that are breaching these height regulations that if you do so you will be fined and fined heavily.

“It’s incumbent on these companies to know the height of their vehicles and the routes they are taking,” he continued.

Commenting in relation to the issue of over-height vehicles approaching the tunnel, a spokesperson for the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade project said the tunnel operations contractor has installed new over-height vehicle detection (OHVD) and enforcement infrastructure on the southbound approach to the tunnel in recent months.

“The most visible element of this infrastructure is the large electronic sign over the tunnel entrance.

“These works are not part of the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade project but of course we are aware of them, and of recent tunnel closures resulting from detections of over-height vehicles,” the spokesperson continued, adding that the tunnel operations contractor is reviewing the operation of the new equipment on an ongoing basis.

The spokesperson also said the maximum height for vehicles entering the Jack Lynch Tunnel is signed on all approaches to the Dunkettle interchange as 4.6m.

The maximum legal height for a vehicle on Irish roads is 4.65m.