Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards the sponsors

摘要

The improvement to the national road network is one of Ireland's great engineering achievements, and an enduring positive legacy from the last decade. Even though the major works are only recently completed, the M50, the Dublin Port Tunnel, and the motorways linking our major cities and regions are already an integral part of the country's transportation system.The very welcome reduction in traffic accident deaths in recent years has many sources, but the improvement in the quality of the newer roads is probably the biggest single factor. The accident rates on the improved roads are only a fraction of those on legacy roads, and apart from the contribution to economic prosperity, and personal convenience, the fact that hundreds of untimely deaths and thousands of serious injuries have already been avoided is one of the most satisfying results of the National Roads Authority's work in recent years. The role of the National Roads Authority in Irish society has evolved with the improvements. The management and operation of the network is now one of its core tasks, and as traffic volumes grow in urban areas getting the maximum use from our assets will be of increasing importance.This evolution in role is one that has been undertaken already elsewhere, and we are benefiting greatly from the experience of other European countries.