Work Begins on Cable-Stayed Bridge on N25 Waterford City Bypass
11th May 2007
Another milestone under the Government's investment programme Transport 21, was reached today (Friday, 11 May 2007) as work began on the State's longest cable-stayed bridge over the river Suir in Waterford. Transport Minister, Martin Cullen visited the site to mark the commencement of the construction of the bridge. A key element of the N25 Waterford City Bypass national road project, the bridge when built, will be the State's longest cable-stayed bridge, running 465 metres long with a span of 230 metres. The new bridge will be designed to complement the river Suir and the surrounding landscape. Waterford Joint Venture are the contractors in charge of the project.
Speaking at the ceremony today, Minister Cullen said:
"The new bridge over the river Suir will form a distinctive structure in Waterford and the Southeast. It promises to be as impressive as the bridge over the Boyne at Drogheda which was the first such cable-stayed bridge in the State."Construction work has been underway on the N25 Waterford City bypass since April last year. Describing this project Martin Cullen said:
"Waterford and the Southeast has suffered socially and economically from not having a bypass or a second bridge. Consequently, the traffic has caused difficulties for the people living and working in the locality. Through the Government's investment programme, Transport 21, Waterford and the southeast are assured of being provided with the N25 Bypass and the cable-stayed bridge by 2010."
The N25 forms part of the North/South Strategic Corridor that runs from Belfast, via Dublin and Rosslare to Cork, linking the three largest centres of population on the island and providing access to the key commercial seaports in the East and South. It also forms part of the Atlantic corridor that stretches from Waterford to Donegal.
The Minister continued:
"This Government is committed to the creation of a national road network that will promote regional and national competitiveness. Over 98% of our internal merchandise trade is carried on our road network, so it is vital that we develop and build a world-class roads system, especially between the major urban centres. Our national road projects are making a difference for the better both regionally and nationwide. They are making a very positive difference for people and for the Irish economy allowing business to do business and companies to transport their goods and services with greater certainty."
Peter Malone, Chairman of the NRA said:
"Work starts today on the State's longest cable stayed bridge -the Suir bridge in Waterford. It will rival the innovative Boyne Valley Bridge in Drogheda and demonstrates how far infrastructure has developed in this country under the Government's Transport 21 Plan. The Suir bridge forms part of the N25 Waterford Bypass Public Private Partnership Scheme which will go along way in delivering the infrastructure needed to maximise not just Waterford's commercial potential but benefit the Southeast in general. Today is significant for Waterford as work starts on the State's longest cable stayed bridge but looking to the future and 2010 will be the year when the links come together. The Waterford bypass will be complete along with the €1bn Waterford to Dublin motorway which will revolutionise travel in the whole region resulting in shorter journey times, greater certainty for journey times and most important of all safer road conditions."Note
The overall N25 project involves the construction of a bypass extending from west of Kilmeaden to east of Slieverue in Co Kilkenny. The route, comprising approximately 25 km of motorway, crosses the River Suir at Grannagh, close to the location of the existing N24/N9 junction to the north west of Waterford City, providing Waterford with its second bridge over the Suir and allowing traffic on the N25 Cork/Rosslare route to bypass the city. The average daily traffic flow across the existing bridge (Rice bridge) is in the region of 36,000 vehicles with weekday flows reaching over 40,000 vehicles. The new bypass will have a series of connecting roads linking it to towns in the southeast region and the Waterford Institute of Technology campus.
For further information please contact Sean O’Neill, Head of Communications, 01 6602511