You may have been wondering what’s going on with the construction works on the bridge in Pearse Street. MacMahon Bridge, named after General Sean MacMahon, is being replaced with a modern bridge.

The existing lifting bridge is in poor condition and has not been operated for many years. The new fixed bridge will have an increased headroom catering for the requirements of Waterways Ireland.

The new bridge is a single span concrete bridge on piled foundations with outer stainless steel elliptical arches with glass infill panels. Special offset lighting will be provided to the glass cladding together with modern street lighting.

The roadway along the causeway will be reconstructed and new footpaths will be provided, paved in granite. A new steel parapet will be provided along the causeway adjacent to the Grand Canal Dock.

Work commenced in August 2006 and it is expected to be completed in June 2007. The total project cost is estimated at €3.25 million.

The planned Samuel Beckett Bridge, above, to be built near Macken Street in the Dublin Docklands, has been designed by the international Architect and Engineer, Dr Santiago Calatrava Valls. It is currently planned that work will begin in 2007 and will take 30 months to complete.

The central axis of the bridge will be aligned with Guild Street on the Northern side of the River Liffey and it will cross the river at right angles to connect with Sir John Rogerson’s Quay at a location approximately 70 meters west of Cardiff Lane.

The bridge will be a cable-stayed, steel box girder structure, with a span of 120 metres between North and South quay walls of the river Liffey, and will provide for four traffic lanes, with cycle tracks and footpaths on either side of the bridge.

The bridge will be capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees, which will accommodate marine traffic to the section of the river upstream of the proposed bridge site.
This will be achieved through a rotational mechanism to be housed within the base of the bridge.

Environmental improvement works will be carried out in conjunction with the bridgeworks on Macken Street, Cardiff Lane, Guild Street and Seville Place.

The total estimated cost of the project is €47 million, which will include provision for a major upgrade of approach roads. The project is being funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Dublin City Council.

New bridge to link Ringsend and South Quays
A public transport only bridge is proposed to run between Seán Moore Road in Ringsend and the corner of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Britain Quay.

This will remove a maritime barrier formed by the Dodder and the Grand Canal. The bridge will cater for two bus lanes, two cycle lanes and two footpaths with the possibility of a provision for a Luas extension.

We are obliged to Dave Reddy for sending us the picture below, which he swears is an accurate representation of this exciting new bridge!