The provision of a second bridge across the River Suir in Waterford city moved a significant step closer yesterday when the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, signed an order for a bridge that will link Gracedieu in Waterford with Grannagh, Co Kilkenny.
The 475-metre bridge is a key element of the €340 million Waterford City Bypass and will be provided through a public-private partnership. On completion, the tolled bypass will consist of 23 km of dual carriageway and 14 km of single carriageway.
The National Roads Authority confirmed in October last it had short-listed two consortiums which had been asked for their best and final offer. These are the Celtic Roads Group, made up of NTR, Ascon, Nuttall and Dragados, and a second group consisting of Vinci-Hegarty-Halifax and Bank of Scotland.
Describing yesterday's signing of the bridge order at Waterford City Hall as "a historic occasion," Mr Cullen acknowledged that the second bridge had been sought for many years.
Indeed when the then Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, visited Waterford during the 1969 general election campaign, the city's Chamber of Commerce came out in active support of moves to put a second bridge over the River Suir. Mr Cullen's father, Thomas, had been elected Mayor of Waterford in July 1967 at the age of 36 and was at yesterday's signing ceremony.
The average daily traffic flow across the existing Rice Bridge in Waterford during 2002 was 36,500 vehicles while weekday flows in excess of 40,000 vehicles were a regular occurrence.
Mr Cullen also promised the new cable-stayed bridge would be a "distinctive and impressive" structure with a "light and elegant" design complementing the river and the surrounding landscape.
The scheme will be procured on the basis of a design, build, finance and operate contract that will encompass a long-term concession period, in the order of 30 years, during which the concessionaire will recoup some of the up-front construction costs and on-going operation/maintenance costs.
The National Roads Authority says it expects to be in a position to sign the contract for the bridge this year, enabling work on the scheme to start towards the end of the year. Completion of the project is expected within three and a half years.
The Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Oliver Clery, said it was an important day that had been a long time coming.