ilex - Ministers announce start of Peace Bridge

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2010 Press Releases

Ministers announce start of Peace Bridge

14 Jan 2010

Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, and Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, today announced the commencement of construction of Derry ~ Londonderry’s new Peace Bridge which will link the former military base at Ebrington to the Guildhall.

Speaking at a special ceremony to mark the start of work on the bridge Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness said: “It is my sincere hope that the new bridge will be a catalyst for change and will help transform this city and the local community in the widest sense. It represents a real opportunity to improve relationships by transcending the physical divide of the river which, for so long, has been viewed as a boundary between the Waterside and the city side.

It will bring Ebrington into shared, public use for the first time in almost 170 years. Most importantly, it will enable the local community to reclaim this prime riverside location for their own enjoyment”.

Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie said; “This is great news for the people of the North West. I welcome the commencement of work on the new bridge which will be a dynamic new structure in the heart of the city. This new foot and cycle bridge will encourage all the citizens of Derry to have a renewed sense of pride in their city centre. On a practical level, it will create a safe, attractive, convenient and high quality route into the central area for pedestrians and cyclists.

But in addition to its contribution to the local transport infrastructure, I hope the new bridge will literally bring people in the City together and underline our resolve to create a Shared Future in Derry and the North. I have no doubt the bridge will quickly become both an important new amenity for residents and a must-see attraction for visitors to the city”.

The third bridge across the River Foyle, the Peace Bridge has been given £13,343,476 from the European Union’s PEACE III Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The programme’s theme of Creating Shared Public Space aims to support large scale infrastructure developments that will tackle problems of separated communities by creating genuine new shared space or transforming contested space.

Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of SEUPB said “This event marks a key milestone in the development of the Peace Bridge; a truly iconic project which has become a reality through the assistance of European funding. Upon completion it will act as a physical symbol of change, encouraging greater level of cross-community engagement, peace and reconciliation.

The bridge also underpins many of the core principles of the PEACE III Programme which seeks to support projects with inherent longevity. In helping to re-shape part of the city it will create an enduring legacy that will have an enormously positive impact for many decades to come” he continued.

Outlining the importance of the new bridge, Chairman of Ilex, Sir Roy McNulty, said: “This is a great day for the city. The Peace Bridge is the most significant capital project in Derry ~ Londonderry for decades and is of fundamental importance to the regeneration programme. It will unite the city physically and symbolically and will act as a catalyst for transformation and future growth. The fact that the European Union is providing funding for the bridge under the PEACE III Shared Space theme underlines the Peace Bridge’s contribution to shared, public spaces within the city.

To mark this important milestone Ministers are launching a process asking people to let us know what they think should be included in a time capsule to be placed in Ebrington to mark the completion of this iconic project and to represent the city’s history, its people, and their aspirations for the future”.

Welcoming the commencement of the bridge construction, Mayor Cllr Paul Fleming said that it marked the beginning of new opportunities for the city and was an important achievement in the city’s regeneration programme.

The contract for the design and construction of the Peace Bridge has been awarded to Graham and a high quality design and construction team comprising of Wilkinson Eyre, London (architects), Faber Maunsell, Newcastle (structural engineers) and Rowecord, Wales (steelwork fabrication). Based in Dromore, Co Down, Graham. has built some of the most iconic bridges in Ireland, including Foyle Bridge, Belfast Cross Harbour Road and Rail Bridges and the Dargan Bridge in South Dublin. Bridge architects, Wilkinson Eyre, are best known for the design of the iconic Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Speaking on behalf of the design and construction team, Alan Bill, Managing Director of Graham said: “Graham are delighted to return to the North West to construct another bridge over the River Foyle and add another landmark structure to their portfolio of fine bridges, civil engineering and building projects. We look forward to working closely with Ilex in delivering a successful project”.

The Peace Bridge is scheduled to complete by December 2010.

ENDS

For further information contact Mo Durkan, Ilex - 028 7126 9226 or 07917 544297. Press release and bridge images are downloadable on www.ilex-urc.com