Official Opening of New Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge and routes at Dodder Valley Park at Firhouse.
Back to List11/11/2014
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Official Opening of New Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge and routes at Dodder Valley Park at Firhouse.
On the 14thof November at 2pm the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Fintan Warfield will officially open 2 new bridges and a pedestrian and cycle route that will link the communities on either side of Dodder Valley Park between Firhouse, Seskin View and Old Bawn.
The new route will join Old Bawn and Killininny mid-way between Old Bawn and the M50 and will form part of both the Tallaght to Ballyboden and Dodder Valley Greenway cycle routes currently being designed. Funding for the Project is being provided by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the NTA Sustainable Transport Measures Grants – ‘STMG’ programme.
The design of the route and bridges, by Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates, was approved by the Council in 2012. The largest bridge over the Dodder is a landmark, single-span, steel suspended structure that will provide near level access between both sides of the River Valley. The bridge was lifted into place a month ago and Clonmel Enterprises Ltd. are currently in the final stages of completing the works on site.
As well as linking the existing communities of Old Bawn and Killininny by providing a new, shorter and more direct route, the bridges and route will form part of a wider network of new high quality cycleways throughout the Dublin region. These routes are aimed at serving commuter and school cyclists in line with planning, transport and health policies to encourage a greater uptake of cycling, better alternatives to the car and more physical activity. Given its attractive, riverside and parkland setting, the Dodder Valley route has significant potential for leisure and tourism as well as commuter cycling.
South Dublin County Council is working with Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with the support of the National Transport Authority to develop the Dodder route as a ‘Greenway’ that will extend from Grand Canal Dock in Dublin City Centre to the Bohernabreena reservoirs in the Dublin Mountains.
The new feature bridge at Firhouse will be an important landmark along the Dodder Greenway and will establish a connected, high quality off-road cycle route. It is intended that, as part of a wider cycle network, this will facilitate economic opportunities by enabling local families to enjoy a day out in a safe cycling environment and visitors to Dublin to take a relatively short, but physically active day-trip out of the City.
Images
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Bridge being lifted over Dodder