dublin docks

From this mornings Indo:

CASH shortages could delay the construction of a bridge which is a central plank in the redevelopment of the Grand Canal Dock area of Dublin.

Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) plans for the refurbishment of the area, due for completion in 2006, hinge on the construction of the Macken Street bridge which is supposed to link the Grand Canal Dock to the redeveloped sites on the Liffey’s northside.

The bridge has been promised since 1999 but the City Council has yet to issue a tender for its construction.

There are now concerns that the docklands reconstruction could end up without any connection across the Liffey.

It is planned that the bridge will carry four traffic lanes, two bus corridors, two LUAS lines, two cycleways, and pedestrian paths.

It has also emerged that the IFSC may not now have a direct link to the Airport due to proposals to divert a metro line to O’Connell Street.

The success of DDDA’s plans to revive the docklands are also dependant on the Rail Procurement Agency providing new LUAS links on time and on Iarnród Éireann developing a rail interconnector, new station, and rail tunnel under the River Liffey.

Yesterday DDDA chief executive, Peter Coyne, said that it was the City Council’s responsibility to ensure the key link bridge was built. The deputy city engineer, Michael Phillips, said the intention was that tenders for the Macken Street bridge would be issued in the autumn and he expected construction to begin early next year, with completion by early 2006 at a projected cost of €20m.