Grand-niece of JFK and Taoiseach perform official opening
AFTER a 30-year wait and many twists and turns the New Ross Bypass finally opened to traffic on Thursday, with trucks from local haulage company Nolan Transport the first to cross the magnificent structure.
The grand-niece of President John F Kennedy joined Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Wednesday on the Wexford side of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge at Stokestown in opening the 14km New Ross Bypass and Ireland’s longest bridge – named after her great-grandmother.
Rose Katherine Kennedy Townsend, a grandchild of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, attended the official opening of the 36m high, 887m bridge and 14km bypass on a sunny, if bitterly cold day, cutting a ribbon with gold scissors on the bridge with Mr Varadkar wrapped up warm and wearing leather black gloves – who was flanked by junior ministers. A large plaque headed ‘Project Ireland 2040 Building Ireland’s Future’ was unveiled with some effort by Mr Varadkar as a gale blew on the side of the road near the bridge.
The bridge – which contains as much steel as the Eiffel Tower – is named in honour of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of iconic brothers John J Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, and matriarch of the famous Irish-American family. Fittingly, the iconic structure has nine spans dedicated to her nine children. When it opened on Thursday the new bridge overtook the Foyle Bridge in Derry (866m), with its two main spans the longest post-tensioned concrete spans of their type in the world. Resembling sails, the magnificent spans were the focus of much conversation at the bridge opening, with many people, including former county councillor Jimmy Curtis – who was chairman of Wexford County Council when the route selection process was under way – saying he thought he’d never see the day, adding that it was worth the wait.
There was a celebratory atmosphere at the opening with trad band Green Road playing lively traditional, Irish songs with gusto on the stage ahead of the arrival of Mr Varadkar and junior ministers Paul Kehoe and Michael D’Arcy Jnr, along with Labour leader Brendan Howlin and junior minister John Paul Phelan.
Standing in front of a 500-strong crowd on the Wexford side of the bridge, Mr Varadkar, beaming with pride, said he gave the project the go-ahead when he was Minister for Transport in 2013, acknowledging the crucial role former Public Expenditure minister Brendan Howlin had in securing funding for it.
He said: ‘It was really hard because nobody wanted to lend us any money or wanted to invest in projects like this because they didn’t trust the capacity of the Irish state and the Irish people to pay the money back.’
Mr Varadkar said much has changed since then thanks to the sacrifices of the Irish people and the correct decisions being made at policy level. He said communities across Ireland have seen major road projects completed.
‘This new bypass, which includes Ireland’s longest bridge, will transform New Ross, Wexford, Kilkenny and the south-east. By reducing congestion and travel-times, improving road safety, and opening up economic opportunities, this will make a huge difference for commuters, for families, for businesses and for tourists,’ he said.
‘As we face the reality of Brexit, this investment in greater connectivity to Rosslare is an investment in our future economic security. This bypass is about strengthening connectivity between different parts of our country, and strengthening our communities.’
Remembering the late political commentator and Kennedy Summer school founder Noel Whelan,
Mr Varadkar said the Ballycullane man would have loved the Kennedy name and commentating on the upcoming election.
‘He made New Ross a place where Irish American culture, history and politics is debated every year I think he would really love the fact that this bypass has been named after Rose Kennedy.’
Mr Varadkar paid tribute to the thousands of people who walked the bypass and bridge the previous weekend raising money for New Ross Community Hospital, Kilkenny Homecare and Special Olympics Ireland. ‘We must remember that it was Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the daughter of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, who founded the Special Olympics.’
‘This new bypass and bridge is part of a much bigger plan for the area and the country – a plan that we call Project Ireland 2040. This project is going to make this a better part of the country to live, to work and to invest.’
Exercising his powers as Taoiseach, Mr Varadkar told pupils from local schools (Ballyfacey, Bunscoil Rís, Horeswood, Glenmore and Cushinstown) seated in front of him – ‘by the power invested in me you have no homework tonight’. The pupils were also thrilled to get goodie bags containing pens and sweets from contractors BAM.
Work began on the bypass in spring 2016 and it was due to open in early 2019. There were significant delays due to weather, an accident and the discovery of crumbling concrete on an isolated section of the bridge but with new crews hired and a big push on involving late night shifts the bridge was almost ready to be opened by Christmas.
Finishing works continued after the festive break and – after four snag lists of works were completed – Transport Infrastructure Ireland furnished a notice allowing the road to be opened last week. Outstanding works on side roads remain to be completed and local landowners have been assured staff will remain on site to ensure the site is cleared up over the coming weeks.
Additionally a staff of 20 have been hired to carry out any necessary maintenance works along the bypass route for the coming decades.
The N25 New Ross Bypass PPP Project comprises the 14km dual carriageway road including new sections of both the N25 and N30 National Primary Routes. The bypass commences at a roundabout junction with the existing N25 at Glenmore before crossing over the River Barrow the bridge from Pink Point in County Kilkenny to Stokestown and continuing until it ties in with the N30 at Corcorans Cross.
The bridge will take articulated lorries out of New Ross – a former traffic blackspot, while the new bypass will forever change how local motorists living either side of the town in south east and south west Wexford travel into and around New Ross.
The bridge is named after Rose Kennedy - a dedicated philanthropist and a fundraiser for various charities especially those which worked for the betterment of the mentally handicapped. She died in 1995 aged 105.
Ms Kennedy Townsend said she had a wonderful day visiting cousins her ancestral homestead in nearby Dunganstown: ‘My parents named me after my great-grandmother, so I am a wild Irish Rose and my uncle Ted and I used to sing this (song) to my great-grandmother at her house in Hyannis Port.’
She said Rose Kennedy was very proud of her Irish roots. ‘This bridge is a wonderful tribute to my great grandmother, and a symbol of her enduring love and lesson that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, we are all God’s children. When some leaders threaten to drive us apart we need to honour those who build bridges that bring us together.’
She quoted her grandfather Bobby’s famous ‘Ripple of Hope’ speech in South Africa in which he spoke of the importance of individuals standing
THIS BYPASS IS ABOUT STRENGTHENING CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY, AND STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES