IRELAND’S LONGEST cable-stayed bridge, which spans the river Suir, will be open to pedestrians and sightseers three hours before access is allowed to motorised traffic on Monday.
The new bridge, which is similar in design but, at 465m, is 81m longer than the Boyne Bridge on the M1, is part of the Waterford city bypass, which has been developed at a cost of more than €500 million. It is opening 10 months ahead of schedule.
The bridge is a “distinctive and impressive structure”, according to the National Roads Authority, with “a light and elegant design complementing the river and the surrounding landscape”.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen and chairman of the National Roads Authority Peter Malone will officially open the bridge at 12.30pm on Monday. Invitees will be taken there by bus.
Following the ceremony, sightseers and pedestrians will be free to wander the length and breadth of the bridge, taking in views of Waterford city and the surrounding countryside, before motorised traffic is allowed across it from about 4.30pm.
The bridge is part of the 23km Waterford city toll-bypass. Charges for using the route are to be €1 for motorbikes, €1.90 for cars and €3.40 for buses and coaches. Goods vehicles pay a maximum of €6.10.
It is expected that 14,000 vehicles will use the route each day, reducing volumes in Waterford city by about 30 per cent and removing up to 12,000 vehicles a day from the city’s quays.
The new route begins at Kilmeadan to the west of the city and crosses the River Suir to tie in with the existing N25 route to Rosslare, Waterford and Cork to the east, at Slieverue village.
The bypass includes a new connection, known as the Western Link, to industrial areas to the southwest of Waterford city. It also links to the M9/N9 and N24 to the Grannagh Interchange.
The route is expected to cut 20 minutes off the journey on the N25 between Cork to the port of Rosslare, via Waterford city. The current N25 route passes along the congested city quays and crosses the River Suir over Rice Bridge.
During work on the scheme, a significant archaeological site was discovered at Woodstown. It was declared a national monument, which necessitated a revised alignment on a section of the route.
The Woodstown site appears to represent a defended riverside settlement, with associated industrial activity.
The artefacts and radiocarbon dating indicate the site likely dates back to the early medieval period, between the 9th and 12th centuries AD.
