Samuel Beckett Bridge

Samuel Beckett Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge currently under construction in Dublin, Ireland, and is expected to join Macken Street on the south-side of the River Liffey, to Guild Street and North Wall Quay in the Docklands area.

Samuel Beckett Bridge

Crosses                                         River Liffey

Designer                                       Santiago Calatrava

Beginning date of construction      2007

The architect is Santiago Calatrava, a designer of a number of innovative bridges and buildings. This will be the second bridge in the area designed by Calatrava, the first being the James Joyce Bridge, which is further upstream.

Constructed by the "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 will also be capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees allowing ships to pass through. This will be 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 lying on its edge.

The steel structure of the bridge was constructed in Rotterdam by Hollandia, a Dutch company also responsible for the steel fabrication of the London Eye. The steel span of the bridge was transferred from the Hollandia wharf in Krimpen a/d IJssel on May 3rd, 2009, with support from specialist transport company ALE Heavylift.

The bridge, named for Irish writer Samuel Beckett, is expected to open in 2010.