New Samuel Beckett 'Harp' Bridge opens

Yixian

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1211/breaking4.html?via=mr

Dublin's €60 million Samuel Beckett Bridge, designed by internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, opened to traffic this morning.

The 120-metre long, 48-metre high bridge spans the river Liffey from Sir John Rogerson’s Quay near Macken Street on the south side to Guild Street at the site of the new National Convention Centre on the north side.

It was one of two bridges commissioned from Calatrava by Dublin City Council 10 years ago. The other, the James Joyce Bridge, opened at Blackhall Place near Heuston Station on Bloomsday, June 16th, 2003.

The new bridge was projected in 1998 to cost £10 million, but the costs ultimately rose to almost €60 million.

Designed to represent a harp on its side the cable-stayed bridge was made in the Netherlands and arrived in Dublin last May.

It had a difficult introduction to the city, with two failed attempts to put it in place on the river due to high winds and generally poor weather.

However, it opened slightly ahead of schedule, having been due to open in early 2010.

Took forever to get this thing operational but now it's open, along with the new Luas extension, we will hopefully see the Docklands finally be brought to life and hopefully get an idea whether or not the 'city centre' can be extended out to Point Village and Spencer Dock when they open in the next few years.



Looks nice.

dubtom

Drove it last night,very impressive. Unfortunatly, traffic leaving the bridge north side has limited access to actually go northside. You can't turn right on to northwall, you can turn left for custom quay or go straight on towards Mayor st and sheriff st,which has a right turn only back on to northwall,no right turn at sheriff st for east wall, which just leaves the NCR option. I'm wondering what the volume of traffic will be like in that area when it kicks off proper. In fairness Pearce st moved fairly well on friday evening around 6pm, will this be the case when joe public realises he has another option for crossing the liffey to go northside. I don't want to sound negative about our lovely new bridge but I can't help thinking chaos is approaching.

mardybumbum

When I look at it from O connell bridge it reminds me of an alligator with chewing gum stuck between its teeth.

anotherlostie

I think it looks beautiful and look forward to having a walk/ drive across it soon. Not sure what benefit it will have for Dublin traffic though.

Yixian

Dublin traffic is gonna get a lot worse before it gets better xD College Green will soon be car-less to allow for the building of the Metro but after that it should ease up across the whole city.

aonfocaleile

Surely if you turn left off the bridge (heading north) to Custom House quay, you can only go up the quay and then left over Butt Bridge? Or am I missing something? Don't know Mayor st so don't know where you would end up if you went straight.

gurramok

aonfocaleile wrote: »

Surely if you turn left off the bridge (heading north) to Custom House quay, you can only go up the quay and then left over Butt Bridge? Or am I missing something? Don't know Mayor st so don't know where you would end up if you went straight.

True. To make it worthwhile crossing the bridge northbound in the first place is only to go straight all the way to the Five Lamps!

maryjane007

i drove across myself this morning, was headin to the port tunnel and had to go up sheriff street and do a u turn to head through east wall. i was surprised i couldnt take the right turn. there has to be a reason they did it this way, prehaps its so they dont lose money from the east link?

besides that it is very impressive though it was still dark when i went across and its lovely lit up. an it saved me 1.70 because i would have paid on the east link

xia

maryjane007 wrote: »

i drove across myself this morning, was headin to the port tunnel and had to go up sheriff street and do a u turn to head through east wall. i was surprised i couldnt take the right turn. there has to be a reason they did it this way, prehaps its so they dont lose money from the east link?

besides that it is very impressive though it was still dark when i went across and its lovely lit up. an it saved me 1.70 because i would have paid on the east link

That might be the reason. Was wondering myself why you can't go reight going north. But even more so why you're not allowed to turn left coming from the port but are allowed with your own lane turning right coming from town...

But I enjoyed using the new bridge. Like you said, it saved the toll bridge and going through town.

dubtom

Someone mentioned to me the reason for no right turn northside on the bridge is indeed because the eastlink would lose money. Good to know the capitals planners care more about keeping a company in profit than helping traffic congestion.

Anouilh

The Samuel Beckett Bridge.

http://bit.ly/4ArXqU

Designed by

Santiago Calatrava

loyatemu

dubtom wrote: »

Someone mentioned to me the reason for no right turn northside on the bridge is indeed because the eastlink would lose money. Good to know the capitals planners care more about keeping a company in profit than helping traffic congestion.

East Wall residents objected to the bridge, fearing drivers would rat-run through their area to get to the new bridge and avoid the Eastlink toll. Hence the restrictions on turning right - you can't turn left off the north quays onto the bridge either (though I saw loads of cars doing this when I was down there the other day).

If you turn left off the bridge you can turn right onto Commons St I think and work your way through to Eastwall from there, but it's awkward.

Yixian

Some nice photos, not mine.







Really, really stunning.

jamieh

Hi all,

planning on going to the Xmas market by the ifsc after work today.

I presume using the new bridge would be quicker than using o'connell bridge and walking down from there?

loyatemu

use the O'Casey footbridge - its right beside the market

jamieh

loyatemu wrote: »

use the O'Casey footbridge - its right beside the market

Thanks! ..thought it was further down.

Mark Surname

I like this bride its very nice. cant think of a good dub name for it tho

Jip

Mark Surname wrote: »

I like this bride its very nice.

You can't marry an inanimate object in this country so you'll have to look elsewhere I'm afraid.

loyatemu

Jip wrote: »

You can't marry an inanimate object in this country so you'll have to look elsewhere I'm afraid.

Pat Kenny's married, isn't he?

InTheTrees

mardybumbum wrote: »

When I look at it from O connell bridge it reminds me of an alligator with chewing gum stuck between its teeth.

LOL!!!!