Proposed bridge to appear as giant A on city's horizon

South Dublin County Council has applied to An Bord Pleanála to build a new flyover bridge crossing the Naas Road on the southwest…

South Dublin County Council has applied to An Bord Pleanála to build a new flyover bridge crossing the Naas Road on the southwest side of the Red Cow roundabout.

The bridge would be 50 metres high with a span of 104 metres, and is estimated to cost about €12 million.

Frank Coffey, director of services for South Dublin County Council, told The Irish Times yesterday that the intention is "to create an iconic new gateway for Dublin".

It would be a "signature bridge", he added. The council already has planning permission to build a flyover at this location as part of the M50 upgrade scheme, which is to begin shortly.

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After approval was given to that scheme, the council reapplied for what it describes as a "dramatic landmark" that is "part engineering, part sculptural in its appearance".

The flyover is to replace traffic lights and should link Monastery Road in Clondalkin to the southbound carriageway of the N7, while also providing access to the Red Cow Luas park-and-ride facility.

Consisting of two freestanding symmetrically opposed inclining steel pylons, the horizontal element of the bridge is to be held in suspension by cable stays, to give the appearance of a giant "A" on the city's horizon. It is claimed by the designers that the choice of a cable-stayed structure, over a more conventional design, allows for "construction of the bridge to proceed with minimal disruption to traffic" along the Naas Road.

The bridge is designed by Roughan & O'Donovan Consulting Engineers. Previous bridges in which it has been involved in designing include the William Dargan Luas bridge in Dundrum and the Boyne bridge on the M1 outside Drogheda.

A decision is likely to be made by An Bord Pleanála in weeks.