Editing West-Link

{{Short description|Bridge over the River Liffey in Ireland}}
{{Other uses|Westlink (disambiguation){{!}}Westlink}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Irish English|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name = West-Link
|native_name = ''Droichead an Nascbhóthair Thiar''
|native_name_lang = Irish
|image = Westlink Bridges Dublin Ireland Geograph 412193 7d62a75d.jpg
|image_size = 240
|alt = West-Link bridges from underneath
|caption = West-Link bridges from underneath
|design = [[Twin bridges]]
|carries = [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50 motorway]]
|crosses = [[River Liffey]], R109 regional road
|locale = [[Dublin]], Ireland
|preceded = [[Lucan Bridge]]
|followed = [[Farmleigh Bridge]]
|length = ~385m
|height = ~42m
| begin = 1987 (1st span)<br>2000 (2nd span)
|complete = 1990 (1st span)<br>2003 (2nd span)
|coordinates = {{coord|53.362778|-6.382703|display=inline,title}}
|toll = Barrier-less toll (operated by eFlow)
}}
The '''West-Link''' ({{langx|ga|Droichead an Nascbhóthair Thiar}}) is a set of [[twin bridges]] over the [[River Liffey]] in [[Dublin]]. A toll bridge, the West Link forms the central section of the Western Parkway route of the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50 ring road motorway]].

==History==
Plans were announced for the construction of the bridge in 1987, and launched by [[Minister for the Environment]] [[Pádraig Flynn]].<ref name=rtearchive>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0614/882747-new-toll-bridge-for-dublin/|work=RTÉ Archives |title=Toll Bridge For Strawberry Beds - 1987|publisher=RTÉ |access-date=2022-04-29 |date=1987-06-17 }}</ref> At the time it was expected to be the largest bridge ever built in the state and to cost in the region of [[Irish pound|£30]] million. When complete, the expected toll was to cost the driver "about [[Irish pound|sixty pence]]".<ref name=rtearchive/> The bridge was constructed as part of the first phase of the M50 motorway, and it and the section of motorway associated with it (Junctions 6-7) were the first section of the M50 to open in 1990.<ref name="twin">{{cite web|url=http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ProjectTracker/M50SecondWest-LinkBridge/ |publisher=National Roads Authority |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228191203/http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ProjectTracker/M50SecondWest-LinkBridge/ |archivedate=28 February 2007 |title=M50 Second West-Link Toll Bridge |url-status=dead }}</ref> Built by [[NTR plc]] (then called National Toll Roads plc) under a deal with [[Dublin County Council]], the bridge was an early example of [[public private partnership]] (although that term was not used at the time) and was the first section of toll motorway to open in the State. In return for constructing and maintaining the bridge, NTR received the right to operate it as a toll bridge for thirty years. Originally a single-span structure, a second span was completed and opened in September 2003.<ref name="twin"/> In 2007, the National Roads Authority reached a deal with NTR to buy out the toll bridge effective 1 August 2008. However, for [[traffic management]] purposes, a toll remained, a situation prompting widespread and ongoing criticism.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridges/west-link-bridge/history | publisher = Dublin City Council | work = Bridges of Dublin | title = West-Link Bridge - History | accessdate = 15 December 2016 }}</ref> NTR continued to operate the bridge until 29 August 2008 when at midnight [[eFlow]] took over. The toll plaza barriers were at that point replaced by overhead gantry-based electronic tolling.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/no-barrier-means-no-jobs-for-120-tollbridge-staff-26472588.html | publisher = Irish Independent | title = No barrier means no jobs for 120 toll-bridge staff | date= 28 August 2008 |accessdate = 15 December 2016 }}</ref>

== Structure ==
The bridge crosses the [[River Liffey]] at a point known as the [[Strawberry Beds]]. On the motorway it starts at a point approximately 2&nbsp;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.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridges/west-link-bridge/design-and-engineering | publisher = Dublin City Council | work = Bridges of Dublin | accessdate = 15 December 2016 | title= West-Link Bridge - Design and Engineering}}</ref> Figures from 2005 indicated that the bridge was carrying an average of 98,000 vehicles per day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0725/65797-westlink/ |title=NTR publishes West-Link figures - RTÉ News |publisher=Rte.ie |date=25 July 2005 |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> 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 [[Northside (Dublin)|north]] and [[Southside (Dublin)|south]] Dublin suburbs.

== Tolling system ==
{{further|eFlow}}
Since 30 August 2008, [[open road tolling]] has been in effect. Since 2022, the toll is €2.20 for cars on a tag account, €2.70 for cars whose number plates have been registered with [[eFlow]] on a video account, and €3.20 for unregistered cars. Unregistered vehicles can pay at [[Payzone (Ireland)|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, has also been used since the early 2000s but was not barrier-free, unlike the present arrangements.{{fact|date=February 2022}}

The tolling remains a single-point operation.{{fact|date=February 2022}}

== See also ==
* [[East-Link (Dublin)]]
* [[Roads in Ireland]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://eflow.ie eFlow website - barrier-free tolling operators on the M50]

{{Dublin Liffey Bridges}}

[[Category:Bridges in County Dublin]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1990]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Toll bridges in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in South Dublin (county)]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Fingal]]
[[Category:Road infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland]]