Samuel Beckett Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Dublin, Ireland
Samuel Beckett Bridge is a cable-stayed swingbridge over the River Liffey, its deck carried by 31 stays from a single curved steel pylon that leans to one side. The pylon rests on one foundation outside the navigation channel, and the deck provides four traffic lanes plus two pedestrian and two cycle lanes.
The steel span was built in Rotterdam by Hollandia, the firm behind the London Eye's steelwork, and shipped to Dublin on a 90 m by 29 m pontoon in May 2009. The bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava with engineers Roughan & O'Donovan, cost €60 million. Lord Mayor Emer Costello opened it to pedestrians on 10 December 2009, and road traffic followed at 7 am the next day. It won Engineers Ireland's Engineering Project of the Year in 2010.
The structure takes its form from a harp lying on its side, with the angled steel cables suggesting the strings of the instrument. This reference to Irish tradition appears in the profile of the construction as it crosses the water.
The crossing links Guild Street on the north bank with Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south and can be used on foot or by car. The construction is best seen from the riverbanks, where you can take in the full shape.
The bridge was built in Rotterdam by Hollandia, the Dutch firm that also fabricated the steel for the London Eye. In May 2009 the steel span was carried across on a 90 m by 29 m pontoon and floated into place in Dublin. The pylon's single foundation sits outside the navigation channel so ships have room to pass.
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