Samuel Beckett Bridge () is a

cable-stayed A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern ...

swingbridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then p ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, Ireland that joins Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south side of the River Liffey to Guild Street and North Wall Quay in the Docklands area.

Design and construction

Architect

Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculp ...

was the lead designer of the bridge. He was assisted with the civil and structural aspects of the design by Roughan & O'Donovan consulting engineers. This was the second bridge in the area designed by Calatrava, the first being the

James Joyce Bridge James Joyce Bridge () is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, joining the south quays to Blackhall Place on the north side. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, it is a single-span structural steel design, ...

, which is further upriver. Constructed by a "Graham Hollandia Joint Venture", the main span of the Samuel Beckett Bridge is supported by 31 cable stays from a doubly back-stayed single forward arc tubular tapered spar, with decking provided for four traffic and two pedestrian lanes. It is also capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees allowing ships to pass through. This is achieved through a rotational mechanism housed in the base of the pylon. The shape of the spar and its cables is said to evoke an image of a

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orc ...

lying on its edge. (The harp being the national symbol for Ireland from as early as the thirteenth century). The steel structure of the bridge was constructed in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

by Hollandia, a Dutch company also responsible for the steel fabrication of the

London Eye The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the Unite ...

. The steel span of the bridge was transferred from the Hollandia wharf in

Krimpen aan den IJssel Krimpen aan den IJssel () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in , and covers an area of of which is water. History Krimpen is first mentioned in a docum ...

on 3 May 2009, with support from specialist transport company ALE Heavylift. The bridge, which cost €60 million, is named for Irish writer

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and Tragicomedy, tr ...

(1906–1989). It was officially opened to pedestrians on 10 December 2009 by

Dublin Lord Mayor The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The ...

, Emer Costello and to road traffic at 7 am the following day. The bridge won Engineers Ireland's 'Engineering Project of the Year' in 2010.

Criticism

Commentators criticised traffic management restrictions in place around the bridge, saying that with certain turns onto the bridge being blocked, traffic would be diverted into the city centre undermining the bridge's purpose of reducing traffic on the downstream bridges. Unhappiness was also expressed over the fact that these restrictions would force drivers to use the East-Link Toll Bridge. Dublin City Council replied that these restrictions were mandated by

An Bord Pleanála (; meaning "The Planning Board"; ABP) is an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2007, An Bord Pleanála directly decided majo ...

to prevent users of the East-Link bridge (outside the city) from coming into the city. At the time of opening, there was also criticism that no bus services had plans to use the bridge.

References

{{Authority control Bridges in Dublin (city) Bridges by Santiago Calatrava Bridges completed in 2009 Samuel Beckett Cable-stayed bridges in Ireland Neo-futurism architecture Swing bridges Inclined towers Dublin Docklands

Design and construction

Criticism

See also

References