Samuel Beckett Bridge Droichead Samuel Beckett | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 53°20′49″N6°14′29″W / 53.3470°N 6.2413°W |
Crosses | River Liffey |
Locale | Dublin, Ireland |
Preceded by | Seán O'Casey Bridge |
Followed by | East-Link |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 120 metres (390 ft) [1] |
Height | 48 metres (157 ft) [1] |
History | |
Designer | Santiago Calatrava |
Construction start | 2007 |
Opened | 10 December 2009 |
Location | |
Samuel Beckett Bridge (Irish : Droichead Samuel Beckett) is a cable-stayed swingbridge in Dublin, Ireland [2] that joins Sir John Rogerson's Quay on the south side of the River Liffey to Guild Street and North Wall Quay in the Docklands area. [3]
Architect Santiago Calatrava was the lead designer of the bridge. [2] He was assisted with the civil and structural aspects of the design by Roughan & O'Donovan consulting engineers. [4]
This was the second bridge in the area designed by Calatrava, the first being the James Joyce Bridge, which is further upriver. [5]
Constructed by a "Graham Hollandia Joint Venture", [3] 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 is also capable of opening through an angle of 90 degrees allowing ships to pass through. This is achieved through a rotational mechanism housed in the base of the pylon. [3]
The shape of the spar and its cables is said to evoke an image of a harp lying on its edge. [6] (The harp being the national symbol for Ireland from as early as the thirteenth century).
The steel structure of the bridge was constructed in Rotterdam by Hollandia, [7] a Dutch company also responsible for the steel fabrication of the London Eye. [8] The steel span of the bridge was transferred from the Hollandia wharf in Krimpen aan den IJssel on 3 May 2009, [7] [9] with support from specialist transport company ALE Heavylift.[ citation needed ]
The bridge, which cost €60 million, [10] is named for Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906–1989). It was officially opened to pedestrians on 10 December 2009 by Dublin Lord Mayor, Emer Costello [1] [11] and to road traffic at 7 am the following day. [10]
The bridge won Engineers Ireland's 'Engineering Project of the Year' in 2010. [4]
Commentators criticised traffic management restrictions in place around the bridge, saying that with certain turns onto the bridge being blocked, traffic would be diverted into the city centre undermining the bridge's purpose of reducing traffic on the downstream bridges. [12] Unhappiness was also expressed over the fact that these restrictions would force drivers to use the East-Link Toll Bridge. Dublin City Council replied that these restrictions were mandated by An Bord Pleanála to prevent users of the East-Link bridge (outside the city) from coming into the city.
At the time of opening, there was also criticism that no bus services had plans to use the bridge. [13]
The River Liffey is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water and supports a range of recreational activities.
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculptural forms often resemble living organisms. His best-known works include the Olympic Sports Complex of Athens, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Turning Torso tower in Malmö, Sweden, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City, the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Texas, and his largest project, the City of Arts and Sciences and Opera House in his birthplace, Valencia. His architectural firm has offices in New York City, Doha, and Zürich.
The year 2001 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
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A cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge is a modern variation of the cable-stayed bridge. This design has been pioneered by the structural engineer Santiago Calatrava in 1992 with the Puente del Alamillo in Seville, Spain. In two of his designs the force distribution does not depend solely upon the cantilever action of the spar (pylon); the angle of the spar away from the bridge and the weight distribution in the spar serve to reduce the overturning forces applied to the footing of the spar. In contrast, in his swinging Puente de la Mujer design (2002), the spar reaches toward the cable supported deck and is counterbalanced by a structural tail. In the Assut de l'Or Bridge (2008), the curved backward pylon is back-stayed to concrete counterweights.
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The Dublin quays refers to the two roadways and quays that run along the north and south banks of the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. The stretches of the two continuous streets have several different names. However, all but two of the names share the same "quay" designation. The quays have played an important part in Dublin's history.
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