Projects
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Jacobs Engineering, Dublin Port Tunnel
Morson Praxis’ were commissioned to conduct a comprehensive site survey of the Dublin Port Tunnel network — a vital transport artery connecting Dublin Port to the M1 motorway near Dublin Airport. The project aimed to assess the tunnel’s existing design, performance, and reliability, and identify opportunities to enhance the stability and resilience of its network infrastructure.
Client Brief
Ensuring Continuous Operation of a Nationally Critical Asset
The 2.8-mile dual bore Dublin Port Tunnel forms a key part of Ireland’s M50 motorway and is essential to Dublin’s traffic management and logistics operations.
The client required a detailed review of the tunnel’s existing network configuration to diagnose performance and reliability issues — all while ensuring the tunnel remained fully operational during both the survey and any subsequent works.
Project Overview
Investigating and Redefining Network Reliability
Following discussions with the original network designers and hardware vendors, Morson Praxis carried out an in-depth site survey to analyse the tunnel’s existing dual-ring fibre design.
A detailed design report was produced, outlining network weaknesses and providing a range of recommendations, including budget estimates, implementation timescales, and a proposed upgrade plan.
After review and approval by the end user, Morson Praxis were further commissioned to implement several of these key recommendations to enhance performance and network reliability.
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Explore how Morson Praxis strengthened the backbone of Dublin’s transport infrastructure with intelligent network design and seamless system integration.
Our Solution
Delivering a Smarter, More Resilient Network Architecture
To address instability and modernise the system, Morson Praxis implemented a comprehensive network redesign that replaced legacy switches and simplified the tunnel’s topology:
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Network Redesign & Upgrade
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Removed legacy switches and the old dual-ring fibre design.
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Installed 22 Cisco 3750G switches configured in stacked pairs using StackWise and EtherChannel technologies, transforming the dual-ring into a single, efficient topology.
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Enhanced Stability & Segmentation
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Introduced Virtual LANs (VLANs) to improve stability and optimise data flow.
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Implemented Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (802.1w) to reduce network convergence time and prevent downtime.
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Operational Efficiency
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All upgrades were meticulously phased over eight months, conducted overnight and on weekends to eliminate disruption to tunnel operations.
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Introduced a Network Management System (SolarWinds) to enable real-time monitoring, centralised configuration management, and proactive fault detection.
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Results
A Stable, Efficient, and Future-Ready Tunnel Network
The completed works transformed the Dublin Port Tunnel’s network into a reliable and high-performance infrastructure capable of supporting all tunnel sub-systems with minimal maintenance requirements.
Key outcomes included:
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Dramatically improved network reliability and performance.
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Simplified management through VLAN segmentation and monitoring tools.
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Enhanced resilience and reduced downtime risk across all connected systems.
The successful delivery of this project has provided Dublin Port Tunnel with a future-ready, stable network capable of supporting continued safe and efficient operation for years to come.
