THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!
TAOISEACH WILL BE JOINED BY MEMBER OF THE KENNEDY FAMILY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN NEW ROSS BYPASS AND ROSE FITZGERALD KENNEDY BRIDGE
THE Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge and New Ross Bypass will finally open to drivers at noon on Thursday, January 30.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will officially open the bridge on Wednesday, January 29, at 3.30 p.m. and members of the Kennedy family are travelling from America to attend the ceremony.
The 887 metre structure named the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy bridge - which crosses the river Barrow between Wexford and Kilkenny - forms part of upgrades to the €230 million New Ross bypass.
Dunganstown, near New Ross, is the ancestral home of assassinated US President John F Kennedy, with the bridge
– which is reputed to have cost €233m to build – being named after his mother Rose, whose ancestors hailed from Bruff, Co Limerick. President Kennedy was the first Irish Catholic elected to the position.
A Wexford County Council spokesperson confirmed that at least one, if not more, of the Kennedy clan will be attending the opening. ‘We had hoped that the former US Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith would be able to attend as she is the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy. However, it is understood that she is too frail. But we have been assured that one or others are aiming to come along as it is a significant event for them.’ Speculation is mounting that it will be either Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, the only surviving child of the late President or cousin and grandson of the late Attorney General Robert Kennedy who was also assassinated, Congressman Joe Kennedy III. The council spokesperson would not confirm or deny these reports.
The last time a notable visit by the famous Kennedy clan was in 2013 when the lighting of the Emigrant Flame was carried out by Kennedy Schlossberg. Fianna Fáil councillor and General Election candidate for the area, Michael Sheehan, confirmed that the council has invited a list of dignitaries to the prestigious and historical opening with many travelling to the event from abroad. ‘There are some notable names due to attend and we will welcome members of the Kennedy family to the official opening.’ Cllr
Sheehan pointed out that the bridge will have huge benefits for the area which has been in the doldrums due to high unemployment figures and lack of business investment in the south east region.
‘I’ve been informed that final details on the bridge opening are being put together. All of the work on this massive bridge is complete which is seven times the size of a hurling pitch,’ said Cllr Sheehan.
‘The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge is the longest bridge in Ireland, and its two main spans are the longest post-tensioned concrete spans of their type in the world. There will be reduced congestion in New Ross town and improvements to the quality of life of people living in the area. Tailbacks in and out of the town stretch to up to five kilometres daily. Now there is a potential for economic growth due to inward investment along with opportunities for the development of the New Ross, new tourism and recreation initiatives. It provides a chance for a clean break from the area’s industrial past and legacy of Albatros, (defunct fertiliser plant on 55 acres of land on the outskirts of New Ross) rural decline and to reboot the town.’
The bridge, which has been beset by several delays, was due to open, along with the bypass, in early 2019. In the summer crumbling concrete was detected at one of the supporting piers for the structure and was thought to have been caused by voids within one of the 11 piers which occurred during the high-pressure blasting of concrete during construction.
An Italian man working on the bridge from South Kilkenny to New Ross received serious injuries after an accident on the bridge last November.
Cllr Sheehan said the opening of the scheme means that chronic traffic congestion and tailbacks in New Ross will be a thing of the past, particularly during peak times, with travel time savings of up to 30 minutes.
This will provide significant efficiencies on the strategic N25 route from Cork to Rosslare Europort while also supporting the future growth and sustainability of New Ross Town and the south east region. The scheme also links the N25 route with the N30 New Ross to Enniscorthy route.
The project is a public-private partnership (PPP) with a joint venture of BAM Civil Construction and Spanish builder Dragados responsible for construction.
It has been delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Contract between Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the PPP Company, consisting of BAM PPP, PGGM Infrastructure Coöperatie U.A. and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras S.A.
On average, a workforce of 300 people was employed throughout construction and approximately 2.5 million work hours were completed on site to bring the scheme to fruition.
Project works include over 14km of new dual carriageway comprising the N25 and N30 National Primary Routes, one kilometre of new single carriageway comprising the N30 national primary route and three new at-grade roundabout junctions creating connections between the new mainline and the existing N25 and N30 at Glenmore, Ballymacar and Corcoran’s Cross.
The bypass road has been completed for several months and some significant works remain to be completed on the bridge prior to the road being opened with further works expected to continue once it opens.
A schedule of inspections, audits and certifications also need to be closed out before the project can open to traffic once approved by Transport Infrastructure Ireland officials.