IN SHORT
Commissioned by Dublin City Council, the Samuel Beckett Bridge (formerly Macken Street Bridge) is one of the two bridges designed by Calatrava, the other being the James Joyce Bridge completed in 2003. The Samuel Beckett Bridge serves as the continuation of an existing street whilst creating a necessary link in the urban axis between Macken Street/Cardiff Lane and Guild Street. This cable-stayed balanced bridge with two unequal spans provides vehicular traffic and pedestrians access crossing the Liffey River. It is also designed to a 90-degree horizontal rotation to free the river channel for water transport crossing the river.
Founded directly upon the limestone bedrock, the intermediate pier contains the bridge's rotation mechanisms and a large portion of the total load is transferred to the terrain. Serving as structural support, the pier emerges from the water to sustain the deck and the base of the pylon, and is located only 28 meters (92 feet) from the south abutment.
YEAR
1998 - 2009
ADDRESS
Samuel Beckett Bridge
Dublin
Ireland