Europe’s ‘cheapest’ toll tunnel costs less than £2

A study which has aimed to uncover some of Europe‘s most expensive toll roads, bridges and tunnels has also shone a spotlight on those which are more purse-friendly for drivers. According to the study by vehicle hire experts at Northgate, one of Europe’s cheapest toll tunnels is just a stone’s throw from England.

Travelling to a depth of nine meters below the River Shannon on the outskirts of Limerick Tunnel, or Tollán Luimnigh, in Ireland.

The 675-metre-long twin-bore road tunnel below the river was built to ease congestion, divert considerable volumes of traffic from the centre of Limerick City and boost economic development.

Though the tunnel can shave up to 20 minutes off journey times during peak rush hours, according to local news outlet The Irish Independent, it is considerably cheaper than some of the continent’s most expensive toll tunnels.

At the time of writing, the Limerick Tunnel will cost the average family car just €2.3 which converts to approximately £1.93.

Construction work first began on the tunnel in August 2006 and the project was completed on July 2010. A pedestrian open day was held on 19 June 2010, with the official opening to traffic by the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, on 27 July 2010, two months ahead of schedule.

The total cost of construction was €660 million, which is roughly £554 million.

The tunnel is also paired with a part of the N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road. Both of these road elements are thought to have eased congestion in the city.

By comparison, Northgate also identified one of the most expensive tunnels in Europe.

The Mont Blanc Tunnel is 11.611 km, equating to 7.215 miles, and according to the study will cost an average family car roughly £46.85 to drive through it.

However, the tunnel crossing is subject to differing tolls depending on what side you are entering from due to Italy and France’s different VAT rates.

The road is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, transporting as much as one-third of Italy’s freight to Northern Europe.

The tunnel also slashes journey times by 30 miles between France and Turin and to Milan by 60 miles.