Council reveals details of new bridges planned for Limerick

LIMERICK CITY and County Council has revealed indicative locations for four new pedestrian bridges in the urban area.

A total of €36.3m in funding has been allocated to provide one crossing of the River Shannon, and three others which will link one side of the Abbey River to the other.

At a special metropolitan district meeting this Thursday, Olive Downes, senior executive engineer with the local authority, revealed a map outlining the areas where the new bridges could be located.

Ms Downes confirmed the crossing of the River Shannon is designed to link up to the site of the former Cleeve's factory on the northside, an area earmarked for major regeneration.

Addressing the meeting, Ms Downes said the local authority is now seeking a team to prepare a business case for the development, which would then be submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for approval by May 2023.

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Also planned for Limerick's riverside as part of the World Class Waterfront project are enhanced landscaping along the bank for performing arts, cycleways and retail opportunities.

Director of service Nuala Gallagher said: "We are looking at a five-year timeframe at least in terms of developing the plan and the bridges."

Ms Downes added: "We will now in the preliminary business case look at the figures - the pedestrians, cyclists, the whole city, the LSMATS and the connectivity before assessing the bridges and the locations of them. At the moment, they are more of an indicative positioning and we will be looking through them."

It's not the first time a pedestrian bridge has been proposed across the Shannon. Back in 2016, a significant grant was on the table to deliver a similar crossing.

But it was thrown out after major opposition.

Councillor Kieran O'Hanlon, who was mayor at the time bemoaned the fact this bridge did not go ahead, but said that any new river crossing link in with a new cycle way from the Technological University of the Shannon's campus in Moylish to the city centre.