The new €60m bridge over the River Liffey has had bus lanes put in place even though no bus routes will use it.
Two of the bridge's four lanes have been given over to public transport despite the fact there is no plan to run any bus route across it.
The Samuel Beckett Bridge has already been criticised by motorists, who complained about difficulties in navigating a complicated series of right or left turns.
Traffic snarl-ups of more than 15 minutes have already become common in both directions from the bridge, with bans on turning away from the bridge infuriating drivers.
Difficulties in traffic flow are likely to discourage any bus operators from using the new crossing while the bus lanes vanish on both sides of the Liffey as soon as a vehicle leaves the bridge.
Dublin City Council said a bus lane had been provided on the bridge to facilitate the "future provision" of buses in the Docklands area of the city.
It said: "[The area has] undergone significant regeneration over the past 12 years, which has seen the population grow there from 17,500 in 1997 to 22,000 in 2008.
"Also, the bridge is intended to facilitate the orbital route traversing the city from north to south and vice-versa so the bus lanes will facilitate future bus-provision on this route."
The council also said the primary reason for a ban on many right and left turns was to discourage users of the East Link toll bridge from diverting.
It said that as part of the planning process, An Bord Pleanála had only granted permission on condition there was "no right turn" in both directions off the bridge and "no left turn" onto the bridge from North Wall Quay.
A statement said: "Dublin City Council implemented the 'no right turn' and 'no left turn' in accordance with the conditions imposed with the planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanála.
"The bridge was intended to facilitate the orbital route traversing the city from north to south and vice-versa. It was never intended that traffic which uses the Eastlink daily would divert onto the bridge.
"This would increase the volume of traffic in the south east inner city and adversely affect the residents there considerably."
The bridge is designed on a massive pivot, which allows it to turn sideways, to allow access for ships or other vessels wishing to move up the River Liffey.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label Samuel Beckett Bridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samuel Beckett Bridge. Show all posts
Monday, 21 December 2009
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Drivers head for the harp to beat city jams
Beleaguered motorists in Dublin will be hoping for a noticeable improvement in traffic, with the opening of a new €60m bridge.
The landmark 'harp'-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge has been officially opened ahead of schedule by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emer Costello.
It is expected the alternative route across the city will mean less traffic congestion on an already clogged-up O'Connell Street and other central zones.
The new structure arrived in Dublin in May, having travelled from Rotterdam on a 90-metre barge. It has four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths and has the capacity to be used by bus and light rail services in the future.
Chair of the council's transport committee, Andrew Montague, said he believes the bridge will ease congestion. "Traffic will be able to divert away from the city centre core. People who want to get to the other side of town will not have to go through that (core) area," he said.
He added that the big problem was that people crossing the city were using the "spine" of O'Connell Street and College Green, even though they did not want to stop in the centre. "We pushed ahead with it to get it open before Christmas."
Designed by world-famous Spanish architect and engineer, Dr Santiago Calatrava, the bridge took seven days to travel from Rotterdam. The cable-stayed bridge is designed to be a landmark feature of the city, evoking the image of a harp.
Some €10m of the €60m cost of the project was provided by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA). Paul Maloney, chief executive of the DDDA, said - "With a growing number of people living, working and visiting Docklands, it is great to see another part of the transport facilities nearing completion.
"Once opened, this landmark bridge will provide an important link between the north and south quays and will facilitate easier access to the National Convention Centre and the O2."
The crossing will join Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south side of the River Liffey with Guild Street and North Wall Quay on the north side of the river.
www.buckplanning.ie
The landmark 'harp'-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge has been officially opened ahead of schedule by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emer Costello.
It is expected the alternative route across the city will mean less traffic congestion on an already clogged-up O'Connell Street and other central zones.
The new structure arrived in Dublin in May, having travelled from Rotterdam on a 90-metre barge. It has four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths and has the capacity to be used by bus and light rail services in the future.
Chair of the council's transport committee, Andrew Montague, said he believes the bridge will ease congestion. "Traffic will be able to divert away from the city centre core. People who want to get to the other side of town will not have to go through that (core) area," he said.
He added that the big problem was that people crossing the city were using the "spine" of O'Connell Street and College Green, even though they did not want to stop in the centre. "We pushed ahead with it to get it open before Christmas."
Designed by world-famous Spanish architect and engineer, Dr Santiago Calatrava, the bridge took seven days to travel from Rotterdam. The cable-stayed bridge is designed to be a landmark feature of the city, evoking the image of a harp.
Some €10m of the €60m cost of the project was provided by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA). Paul Maloney, chief executive of the DDDA, said - "With a growing number of people living, working and visiting Docklands, it is great to see another part of the transport facilities nearing completion.
"Once opened, this landmark bridge will provide an important link between the north and south quays and will facilitate easier access to the National Convention Centre and the O2."
The crossing will join Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south side of the River Liffey with Guild Street and North Wall Quay on the north side of the river.
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Samuel Beckett bridge opens
The opening ceremony of Dublin's newest bridge, named after Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett, took place today.
The iconic structure stretches 120 metres across the capital’s River Liffey from Guild Street on the northside to Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the southside.
Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge takes the shape of the Irish harp with cable-stay ‘strings’.
Actor Barry McGovern performed Beckett excerpts at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as the Waiting for Godot author’s niece Caroline Murphy, nephew Edward Beckett and hundreds of Dubliners looked on.
Ms Murphy said her uncle would have been amazed by the 40 million euro creation.
“He was a very, very unassuming man and I think he would have been quite overcome.
“I can see the tears in his eyes now — he probably wouldn’t have turned up to the opening but I think he would be very, very overcome by emotion,” she said.
“It’s wonderful that Seamus Heaney came and I’m quite amazed that there are so many people here.
“I thought there would have been only a sprinkling of people in the know but I think Dublin has taken this bridge to its heart.”
The Samuel Beckett Bridge’s steel superstructure was built at a Rotterdam shipyard before making a week-long sea voyage to Ireland in May.
It can rotate to an angle of 90 degrees between an open and closed position to allow boats to travel along the river and will also be able to accommodate Luas trams.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello said the 48 metre-high bridge was a central part of the capital’s transport infrastructure.
“The Beckett Bridge will improve traffic circulation, public transport and the pedestrian environment in the city centre,” she added.
The structure is the second Calatrava bridge in the capital after the James Joyce bridge.
The architect said he was deeply honoured to have given Dublin two signature designs.
“It is rare that an artist is able to contribute to the blueprint of such a historically rich city,” he said.
“Working on the James Joyce Bridge I developed a deep affinity for the people of Dublin, and I wanted my next bridge to celebrate that connection.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The iconic structure stretches 120 metres across the capital’s River Liffey from Guild Street on the northside to Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the southside.
Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge takes the shape of the Irish harp with cable-stay ‘strings’.
Actor Barry McGovern performed Beckett excerpts at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as the Waiting for Godot author’s niece Caroline Murphy, nephew Edward Beckett and hundreds of Dubliners looked on.
Ms Murphy said her uncle would have been amazed by the 40 million euro creation.
“He was a very, very unassuming man and I think he would have been quite overcome.
“I can see the tears in his eyes now — he probably wouldn’t have turned up to the opening but I think he would be very, very overcome by emotion,” she said.
“It’s wonderful that Seamus Heaney came and I’m quite amazed that there are so many people here.
“I thought there would have been only a sprinkling of people in the know but I think Dublin has taken this bridge to its heart.”
The Samuel Beckett Bridge’s steel superstructure was built at a Rotterdam shipyard before making a week-long sea voyage to Ireland in May.
It can rotate to an angle of 90 degrees between an open and closed position to allow boats to travel along the river and will also be able to accommodate Luas trams.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello said the 48 metre-high bridge was a central part of the capital’s transport infrastructure.
“The Beckett Bridge will improve traffic circulation, public transport and the pedestrian environment in the city centre,” she added.
The structure is the second Calatrava bridge in the capital after the James Joyce bridge.
The architect said he was deeply honoured to have given Dublin two signature designs.
“It is rare that an artist is able to contribute to the blueprint of such a historically rich city,” he said.
“Working on the James Joyce Bridge I developed a deep affinity for the people of Dublin, and I wanted my next bridge to celebrate that connection.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 3 August 2009
Don't mind the gap, say bridge builders
It looks, to the casual observer, like a bridge too high - now elegantly draped across the Liffey, the Samuel Beckett Bridge appears to tower over the quayside roadway on the southside of the river.
The vertiginous drop of more than a metre from bridge to tarmac on Sir John Rogerson's Quay has some of the few remaining high-flyers in the IFSC wondering if their low-slung sports saloons will survive the trip from docklands to Dalkey.
However, the loftiness of the new bridge, due to be opened next year, is part of a cunning plan and not a monumental blunder, Dublin City Council insists. "The constructed level of the bridge's south abutment is in accordance with its design levels, which specifically allows for sufficient headroom under the bridge to accommodate marine craft on the river" - project manager John Flanagan explained.
He added that the current construction works will introduce a carefully designed gradual incline between the bridge deck level and existing ground levels. That may sound suspiciously like a ramp, but the council are convinced that drivers will not notice the drop when they leave the bridge.
The 120m bridge, which is 48m high, will link Guild Street on the northside with Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the southside - west of Cardiff Lane/Macken Street.
Dr Santiago Calatrava Valls, considered one of the world's great architects, designed the Beckett Bridge. The bridge will have four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths and can facilitate bus and light rail in the future.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The vertiginous drop of more than a metre from bridge to tarmac on Sir John Rogerson's Quay has some of the few remaining high-flyers in the IFSC wondering if their low-slung sports saloons will survive the trip from docklands to Dalkey.
However, the loftiness of the new bridge, due to be opened next year, is part of a cunning plan and not a monumental blunder, Dublin City Council insists. "The constructed level of the bridge's south abutment is in accordance with its design levels, which specifically allows for sufficient headroom under the bridge to accommodate marine craft on the river" - project manager John Flanagan explained.
He added that the current construction works will introduce a carefully designed gradual incline between the bridge deck level and existing ground levels. That may sound suspiciously like a ramp, but the council are convinced that drivers will not notice the drop when they leave the bridge.
The 120m bridge, which is 48m high, will link Guild Street on the northside with Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the southside - west of Cardiff Lane/Macken Street.
Dr Santiago Calatrava Valls, considered one of the world's great architects, designed the Beckett Bridge. The bridge will have four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths and can facilitate bus and light rail in the future.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Capital welcome as Beckett makes its grand entrance slides into place after epic journey
"It's...not...stuck...is...it?" For a moment, the little boy thought old Samuel Beckett had got wedged between the quay wall and the side of the raised East Link Bridge in Dublin -- not a good thing to happen to a new €60m investment.
Thankfully, the engineers and the pilot of the tug 'Deilginnis' managed to avoid potential headlines such as 'Bridge Of Sighs' or 'A Bridge Too Far'.
Five minutes after it stopped yesterday, the tug puttered into life and things began moving again.
"Jaysus that's a relief," cried one man.
It wasn't really. The experts were just being careful and, rather than having inches to spare, the boat people had several metres to play with.
The 120-metre long 'Samuel Beckett' -- Dublin's newest bridge -- had just come upriver on the back of a vast barge from Rotterdam. The East Link is seldom lifted but it was yesterday, just before 2.30pm, when the structure arrived at the mouth of the port.
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the city's James Joyce bridge, has created a structure officially described as 'cable-stayed, with a curving incline and steel pylon'.
Like the James Joyce, the bridge is named after another of the country's greatest writers and looks like a giant white harp.
Hundreds of Dubliners had gathered to watch along Sir John Rogerson's Quay and North Wall Quay as it was eased along at a crawl.
Among the crowd was Fianna Fail MEP Eoin Ryan, who had taken time off from campaigning to rubber neck with everyone else.
"It's an occasion isn't it?" he said, as others, including actor Barry McGovern, who has performed Beckett's one-man plays, joined the throng.
Sir John Rogerson himself would have marvelled at how much change there has been since his day.
The former Lord Mayor of Dublin built the quay in 1712 to allow deep water moorage, in a city reliant on goods being delivered by tall ships.
Now, much of the former dock area is gone and has been replaced by swanky office blocks and buildings, among them the new National Convention Centre.
Workers in the area took a few minutes to watch yesterday, their noses pressed to glass windows as the 'Deilginnis' inched forward.
The bridge had been floated across the English Channel from the Graham-Hollandia shipyard in Rotterdam and came through the East Link at high tide.
Over the next month, it will be be carefully positioned by engineers, linking north and south sides of the Liffey and, officials hope, eventually easing some traffic problems.
Yesterday, though, was all about the spectacle.
"It's amazing -- the things they can do these days," said one elderly observer, shaking his head.
Ciaran Byrne
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Thankfully, the engineers and the pilot of the tug 'Deilginnis' managed to avoid potential headlines such as 'Bridge Of Sighs' or 'A Bridge Too Far'.
Five minutes after it stopped yesterday, the tug puttered into life and things began moving again.
"Jaysus that's a relief," cried one man.
It wasn't really. The experts were just being careful and, rather than having inches to spare, the boat people had several metres to play with.
The 120-metre long 'Samuel Beckett' -- Dublin's newest bridge -- had just come upriver on the back of a vast barge from Rotterdam. The East Link is seldom lifted but it was yesterday, just before 2.30pm, when the structure arrived at the mouth of the port.
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the city's James Joyce bridge, has created a structure officially described as 'cable-stayed, with a curving incline and steel pylon'.
Like the James Joyce, the bridge is named after another of the country's greatest writers and looks like a giant white harp.
Hundreds of Dubliners had gathered to watch along Sir John Rogerson's Quay and North Wall Quay as it was eased along at a crawl.
Among the crowd was Fianna Fail MEP Eoin Ryan, who had taken time off from campaigning to rubber neck with everyone else.
"It's an occasion isn't it?" he said, as others, including actor Barry McGovern, who has performed Beckett's one-man plays, joined the throng.
Sir John Rogerson himself would have marvelled at how much change there has been since his day.
The former Lord Mayor of Dublin built the quay in 1712 to allow deep water moorage, in a city reliant on goods being delivered by tall ships.
Now, much of the former dock area is gone and has been replaced by swanky office blocks and buildings, among them the new National Convention Centre.
Workers in the area took a few minutes to watch yesterday, their noses pressed to glass windows as the 'Deilginnis' inched forward.
The bridge had been floated across the English Channel from the Graham-Hollandia shipyard in Rotterdam and came through the East Link at high tide.
Over the next month, it will be be carefully positioned by engineers, linking north and south sides of the Liffey and, officials hope, eventually easing some traffic problems.
Yesterday, though, was all about the spectacle.
"It's amazing -- the things they can do these days," said one elderly observer, shaking his head.
Ciaran Byrne
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Samuel Beckett Bridge
It is planned that the East Link Toll Bridge will be lifted between 2pm and 3.30pm this afternoon, to allow the new Samuel Beckett Bridge to be moved. Gardaí will direct traffic for the duration of the closure.
www.buckplanning.ie
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
€60 million bridge makes way up Liffey
HIGH WINDS delayed attempts to move the new Samuel Beckett Bridge down the river Liffey last night, after it arrived from the Netherlands earlier yesterday.
The Samuel Beckett Bridge, at 120 metres long and 48 metres high, will link Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the south side of the river Liffey with Guild Street and North Wall Quay on the north side.
It had been due to be floated down the river at 2am, weather permitting. A decision was made at 8pm to defer the plan until the winds subsided.
A Dublin City Council spokesman said it was a case of “wait and see”. If winds were sufficiently low tonight the bridge would be moved, he said.
Dublin’s newest bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and will be his second bridge in the capital. The James Joyce Bridge, near Heuston Station, opened in 2003.
The new bridge, costing about €60 million, will be capable of rotating through an angle of 90 degrees to facilitate maritime traffic.
It has four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths.
It arrived on a barge into Dublin Port yesterday morning having charted its way from Rotterdam, across the English Channel and Irish Sea in a week-long journey.
It was constructed for Dublin City Council by an Irish/Dutch joint venture consortium Graham-Hollandia.
The design evokes the image of the Irish harp lying on its side.
The bridge is expected to open to traffic in early 2010 following a series of commissioning works.
After it travels through the Eastlink Bridge, it will be moored on a pontoon alongside the south quayside for the next few weeks before being placed on its supporting pier in the river.
Dublin city engineer Michael Phillips said the bridge was a stunning piece of design and engineering.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Samuel Beckett Bridge, at 120 metres long and 48 metres high, will link Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the south side of the river Liffey with Guild Street and North Wall Quay on the north side.
It had been due to be floated down the river at 2am, weather permitting. A decision was made at 8pm to defer the plan until the winds subsided.
A Dublin City Council spokesman said it was a case of “wait and see”. If winds were sufficiently low tonight the bridge would be moved, he said.
Dublin’s newest bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and will be his second bridge in the capital. The James Joyce Bridge, near Heuston Station, opened in 2003.
The new bridge, costing about €60 million, will be capable of rotating through an angle of 90 degrees to facilitate maritime traffic.
It has four traffic lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths.
It arrived on a barge into Dublin Port yesterday morning having charted its way from Rotterdam, across the English Channel and Irish Sea in a week-long journey.
It was constructed for Dublin City Council by an Irish/Dutch joint venture consortium Graham-Hollandia.
The design evokes the image of the Irish harp lying on its side.
The bridge is expected to open to traffic in early 2010 following a series of commissioning works.
After it travels through the Eastlink Bridge, it will be moored on a pontoon alongside the south quayside for the next few weeks before being placed on its supporting pier in the river.
Dublin city engineer Michael Phillips said the bridge was a stunning piece of design and engineering.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
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