▁up ▁from ▁ 5 9 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁tunnel ▁has ▁two ▁cells , ▁each ▁with ▁two ▁traffic ▁lan es ▁and ▁two ▁foot paths , ▁and ▁a ▁central ▁bore ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁an ▁emer gency ▁only . ▁Ped est ri ans ▁and ▁cycl ists ▁are ▁express ly ▁forb idden ▁from ▁using ▁the ▁tunnel . ▁The ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁cycl ists ▁has ▁been ▁somewhat ▁controvers ial ▁as ▁the ▁fe eder ▁road ▁is ▁a ▁dual - car riage way ▁and ▁so ▁is ▁open ▁to ▁cycl ists , ▁but ▁the ▁by - law ▁is ▁applied ▁because ▁of ▁space ▁limitations ▁and ▁the ▁obvious ▁danger ▁of ▁cycl ists ▁in ▁an ▁en closed ▁tunnel . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Lee ▁down stream ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁came ▁from ▁civil ▁engine ers ▁employed ▁by ▁C ork ▁Local ▁Author ities ▁and ▁the ▁central ▁government ' s ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Environment ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁C ork ' s ▁sub ur bs ▁were ▁expand ing ▁and ▁traffic ▁was ▁rising ▁as ▁car ▁ownership ▁increased , ▁but ▁the ▁city ▁centre ' s ▁street ▁plan , ▁laid ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁was ▁ill - equ ipped ▁to ▁co pe . ▁ ▁The ▁engine ers ▁reason ed ▁that ▁the ▁con g estion ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁centre ▁and ▁its ▁radial ▁routes ▁was ▁quickly ▁reaching ▁int ol er able ▁levels . ▁ ▁They ▁pushed ▁through ▁C ork ' s ▁" L UT