Crossing is part of a 15-year plan to increase capacity at city’s port

Moxon Dublin 1

CGI of how the bridge would look in the raised position

Moxon has submitted plans for an unusual single-leaf bascule bridge at Dublin Port in Ireland.

The scheme is part of the third and final phase of a €1.1bn masterplan, which aims to increase the port’s capacity over the next 15 years.

The crossing will form a key part of a 7km network of cycle and pedestrian routes across the Poolbeg Peninsula and the River Liffey. It will also carry port traffic, diverting it from the public road network and reducing congestion on the adjacent Tom Clarke bridge.

Designed in collaboration with engineer COWI, the bridge will open its single leaf with a pair of granite counterweights supported on two steel arms.

> Also read: Moxon wins job to build three bridges in Oslo

These counterweights will move in a “choreographed sequence” moving past the bridge leaf and nestling into the structure’s beams in the open and closed position.

Moxon Dublin 2

How the bridge would look when lowered

COWI said the bridge, which will be illuminated at night by lighting along the arms, will form a “symbolic gateway” to Dublin Port and a prominent addition to the city’s riverside cityscape.

A formal consultation is expected to conclude in September 2024, although construction of the project is not expected to start for several years, with a current estimated completion date some time in the late 2030s.

The scheme is one of several infrastructure projects Moxon Architects has collaborated on with COWI, including the Dukes Meadow in West London, Hampton Bridge in Worcestershire as well as ongoing work for HS2.

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