Truck fire on Dublin bridge brings traffic delays to city centre

Samuel Beckett Bridge has reopened, but traffic is heavy in the area

A truck on fire on the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin on Thursday morning. Photograph: Joyce Hickey
A truck on fire on the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin on Thursday morning. Photograph: Joyce Hickey

Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge has reopened following a fire that broke out in a truck as it crossed the bridge.

The bridge is now fully reopened for southbound traffic. The northbound right lane remains closed, but traffic is passing in the bus lane.

Traffic remains heavy in the area.

The fire broke out in the cab of a lorry on the northbound lane of the bridge that crosses the Liffey in the docklands area of the city and is a busy route from Macken Street to the north quays.

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Traffic backed up between the 3Arena and the Irish Financial Services Centre at Matt Talbot Bridge, and the East Wall Road was heavily congested during the morning traffic peak.

“The cab of the truck went on fire first and then the fire spread to the rest of the vehicle,” according to a witness.

Flames could be seen from the north and south quays, and a plume of black smoke rose above the incident. .

Photographs of the early moments of the fire show traffic crossing the bridge from south to north as gardaí took control and closed the bridge.

Garda social media accounts announced the bridge was closed “due to an incident”.

Emergency services put out the fire, and the bridge reopened to traffic at about 9am. The burnt lorry remained in the right-hand lane of the northbound carriageway on the bridge.

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist