A large steel footbridge, 32 metres in length, was manufactured at the Jamestown works in Portarlington and erected at Dublin Port.
Part of a long-term project to integrate the port area with the city centre, the design was inspired by a bridge in Barcelona. Taking four months to build, the pedestrian bridge is fabricated from weathered steel, which in time acquires a rusted finish, serving to protect the steel from the elements. The flooring of the bridge is constructed from Graepel’s stainless steel ‘Safedeck’ planks, with countersunk and raised perforations to add grip and drainage.
The bridge, weighing 42 tonnes, was put in place using a 500 tonne Liebherr crane, the largest mobile crane in Ireland. Too large to be moved by means of the Port Tunnel, the bridge was brought in via Dublin centre, transported overnight on a large flatbed lorry. Final installation was by Mackey Engineering from Nenagh.
Connecting the Port Area to the City
The new bridge ensures that for the first time in 35 years, the public will be able to walk from Dublin city to the port Centre.
Visitors arriving on foot from the city centre or the new car park will discover a landscaped maritime garden with seating. In the garden is Irish artist Eimear Murphy’s new sculpture ‘The Drop’, a mirrored sculptural sphere; nearby is a historic ten-tonne Stothert & Pitt crane, dating from the 1950s.
Expanding Dublin Tourism
The bridge forms an important part of plans to expand the potential of Dublin port for tourism. For the first time a cruise ship will be based in Dublin; the Celebrity Eclipse berthed here in April 2018 and will make Dublin her home port. The port is visited by increasing numbers of cruise ships, and 2018 will be a record year, with over 150 cruise ship visits expected, including the 330 metre Royal Princess.
http://www.dublinport.ie/news/dublin-port-opens-port-centre-city-new-public-realm/