West-Link
|
West-Link Droichead an Nascbhóthair Thiar |
|
|---|---|
West-Link bridges from underneath
|
|
| Coordinates | 53°21′46″N 6°22′58″W / 53.362778°N 6.382703°WCoordinates: 53°21′46″N 6°22′58″W / 53.362778°N 6.382703°W |
| Carries | M50 motorway |
| Crosses | River Liffey, R109 regional road |
| Locale | Dublin |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Twin bridges |
| Total length | ~385m |
| Height | ~42m |
| History | |
| Construction begin | 1987 |
| Construction end | 1990 (second span 2003) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Barrier-less toll (operated by eFlow) |
The West-Link (Irish: Droichead an Nascbhóthair Thiar) is a toll bridge (actually twin bridges) on the M50 motorway to the west of Dublin, Ireland, operated by BetEire Flow Limited (trading as eFlow) for the National Roads Authority.
The bridge crosses the River Liffey at a point known as the Strawberry Beds. On the motorway it starts at a point approximately 2 km south of junction 6 (Blanchardstown) and runs to a point almost immediately north of junction 7 (Palmerstown). It is 385 metres long, and at its highest elevation it is approximately 42 metres above the river. Figures from 2005 indicated that the bridge was carrying an average of 98,000 vehicles per day. The bridge is the only Liffey crossing between Chapelizod and Lucan Bridge (both of which are narrow two-lane structures) and thus it carries a large amount of traffic passing between the north and south Dublin suburbs.
Since 30 August 2008, tolling has been by means of number plate recognition via overhead gantries. Since 2013, the toll is €2.10 for cars on a tag account, €2.60 for cars whose number plates have been registered with eFlow on a video account, and €3.10 for unregistered cars. Unregistered vehicles can pay at Payzone outlets, by calling eFlow customer service or by paying on the eFlow website. Drivers who fail to pay receive escalating fines, depending on how long the toll remains unpaid.
Prior to 29 August 2008, tolling was usually by cash payment at a toll plaza to the former operators NTR plc. A prepaid tag system, Eazy Pass, was also used since the early 2000s but was not barrier-free unlike the present arrangements.
...
Wikipedia