Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin, Ireland

June 29, 2010 Category: Bridges, Urban Design

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, Samuel Beckett Bridge is located in Dublin, Ireland. Dubliners took their first steps across the Samuel Beckett Bridge yesterday following its official inauguration. The six-laned bridge is Santiago Calatrava’s second in the Irish capital city being preceded by the James Joyce Bridge which was completed in 2003.

And indeed the bridge serves as a monument to Ireland itself, its form envisioned as a harp – a prominent symbol of Ireland, with steel cables as its strings, and being named after a famous Irish author as in his prior James Joyce Bridge.

Construction of the Samuel Beckett bridge began in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in May 2007 and involved the assembly of 8 steel bridge sections to create a 123 metre deck span. A 46 metre high steel curved pylon was fabricated and connected to the deck and 25 forestay and 6 backstay cables were installed to create the main superstructure. The structure was then shipped via barge for 628 miles and on a third attempt the body of the bridge was manoeuvred into place in May. It now offers a multi-modal crossing connecting the north and south sides of the River Liffey with four lanes for motor transport, two lanes for pedestrian and cycle ways and space for trams in the future. Resting on a reinforced concrete support pier the bridge is capable of swinging 90 degrees to make way for maritime traffic.

Samuel Beckett Bridge Architechture Plan