September 10 2024

Designs for a new bridge spanning the River Liffey at Dublin Port, part of the final phase of a 15-year masterplan to increase cargo and freight capacity by 2040, have been unveiled.

Designed by Moxon in collaboration with COWI and RPS the single-leaf bascule bridge will serve as the centrepiece of the Southern Port Access Route and doubles as a crucial link in a 7km active travel route across the Poolbeg Peninsula.

The €1.1bn masterplan will unify the northern and southern portions of the port and reduce pressures on the surrounding road network by redirecting commercial traffic.

Two reclining steel arms balanced by a reconstituted granite counterweight define the bridge, an engineering ballet of elements crafted to pivot past each other upon opening and closing. This permits ships to pass unimpeded through a 30.5m navigation channel below. V-shaped piers separate a parallel 20.5m channel for community use.

Richard Thebridge, Associate at Moxon, commented: “Our design solution for the opening mechanism provides a dramatic opening sequence which both helps to reduce carbon and create a new landmark for the area, transforming the seaport to provide essential links between the north and south.”

Completion of the new bridge is expected in the late 2030s.

Post your comments