Proposals for limited opening hours of a planned pedestrian and cycling bridge across the River Liffey have been questioned. The new bridge is planned between the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and the UCD Boat Club on the Chapelizod Road, beside Phoenix Park.
A planning submission from the National Transport Authority said that the shared walking and cycling bridge is in keeping with its planned Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan as part of a “Utility-Greenway link from Chapelizod Road to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens via new bridge indicatively located in the vicinity of the proposed development.”
The Irish National War Memorial Gardens opening hours are listed as opening at 8am Monday to Friday and from 10am on Saturdays and Sundays, and its closing hours are listed as “According to Daylight hours”.
This already means that the cycling link along the banks of the Liffey is blocked during normal commuting hours. The OPW, which runs the gardens, confirmed that the pedestrian route from Chapelizod to the South Circular Road is left open beyond those times.
London-based architect Ritchie*studio designed the bridge after a competition that attracted a total of 61 entries from 9 different countries.
In the Dail last month, Patrick Costello (Green Party) said: “Progress is finally being made by the Office of Public Works, OPW, on a bridge over the River Liffey connecting to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in the Dublin South-Central constituency.”
“This bridge was originally planned in the 1930s. It has, however, been reported that the bridge will be closed in the early evenings. This seems to be ridiculous. The war memorial gardens are open and accessible 24 hours per day so access to the bridge should be too,” he said.
He added: “I ask the Minister, through the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, to address yet another example of questionable decision-making by the OPW.”
The question was asked during the time for Questions on Policy or Legislation. Replying for the Government, Minister Jack Chambers (Fianna Fail) said: “I thank the Deputy. I am not familiar with the specific operational matters that may have been set out by the OPW. I appreciate the point the Deputy has raised for residents and the wider community in the area.”
He said: “I will reflect that to the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. It is important that the OPW responds to the concerns and needs of residents and the wider community in its work.”
IrishCycle.com asked the OPW earlier this month for an update on the situation and to explain why the bridge’s opening hours are planned to be limited.
Today, a spokesperson for the OPW said: “The Office of Public Works (OPW) has recently received planning permission for a new Commemorative pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Liffey. This bridge will create a new ceremonial entrance into the Irish National War Memorial Gardens from Cunningham Road at Islandbridge.”
“As the OPW are in the initial stages of this project, the opening hours of this entrance has yet to be finalised,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added: “All gates into the gardens are closed each evening, save the pedestrian route from Chapelizod to the South Circular Road. The opening hours of the Irish National War Memorial Gardens are available on HeritageIreland.ie.”
Memorial Park has 3 entrances. The Chapelizod/Ballyfermot & Islandbridge gates are open 24/7 but for some reason the Con Colbert Rd gate opens/closes dawn to dusk. The Phoenix Park gates are open until 12pm with the Parkgate & Castleknock gates open 24/7. There is no logic to limiting the crossing times of this bridge. I have long had problems with the OPW’s bizarrely limited visiting hours on their properties.
These properties are not owned by the opw,the opw are the custodians on behalf of the irish people. They are the caretakers not the decision makers.
If they spanned it across to just inside the Phoenix Park that would solve their worries (not that much further).
Or perhaps a 2nd regular motorway pedestrian/bike crossing at the road into the park.
Would be far safer too, as that road can be quite dangerous, especially if kids are cycling it.
The 10am opening on weekends is way too late. Makes no sense. Have it automated or something.