Craigavon Bridge

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The Craigavon Bridge in 2005.
The Craigavon Bridge in 2005.

The Craigavon Bridge is one of two bridges in Derry, Northern Ireland. It crosses the River Foyle further south than the Foyle Bridge. It is the only double-decker road bridge in Europe.

The present bridge began construction in the late 1920s and was finished in 1933. The lower deck of the bridge was originally a railway line, but this was replaced by a road in 1968.

It was named after Lord Craigavon, a former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. The town of Craigavon in County Armagh is named after the same person.

A pair of bronze statues forming a sculpture entitled Hands Across the Divide are situated at the west end of Craigavon Bridge in Carlisle Square and were produced by Derry sculptor, Maurice Harron.[1]

[edit] Refurbishment

Between October 1999 and August 2000, Roads Service, in Phase I of a refurbishment project, concentrated on the refurbishment of the upper deck of the bridge to provide increased safety and to prolong the service life of the bridge, including concrete and steelwork repairs, re-waterproofing of the deck to protect the steelwork from corrosion, resurfacing of both carriageway and footways. Later Phases II and III concentrated on refurbishment of the lower deck and painting of the bridge.[2] The total cost of refurbishing Craigavon Bridge was £4·2 million.[3]

[edit] History

Craigavon Bridge is actually the third bridge to be built in the area. The first bridge over the River Foyle was a wooden one built in 1790. It was assembled in America and transported to Derry to be positioned in the Bridge Street area about 90 metres north of the present bridge.[4] It was built from 1789-1791 between Bridge Street and Fountain Hill. The structure allowed for a drawbridge as the inhabitants of Strabane had navigational rights to the river.[5]

In 1863 a steel bridge (Carlisle Bridge) was erected a little further upstream, almost where Craigavon Bridge is today, to replace the old wooden structure. [4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hands Across the Divide. Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
  2. ^ Update on £1 million Craigavon Bridge Refurbishment. Department for Regional Development News Releases (2000-05-05). Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
  3. ^ Craigavon Bridge. NI Assembly Report (2001-09-10). Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
  4. ^ a b Craigavon Bridge. Richmond Centre - When in Derry. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.
  5. ^ The Craigavon Bridge. Go Ireland. Retrieved on 2007-08-23.