CONSTRUCTION HAS STARTED on Phase 3 of the Royal Canal
Greenway, which runs from Dublin’s North Strand to Phibsborough.
Phase 3 of the project will come in at a cost of just under
€31 million and will provide 2.1km of pedestrian and cycle track along the
banks of the Royal Canal, extending from Newcomen Bridge, North Strand to Cross
Guns Bridge, Phibsborough.
Upon completion, which is expected in the second quarter of
2025, there will be a continuous 3.2km cycling and walking route through the
north city from Phibsborough to the River Liffey.
It will include accessible ramps from the canal towpath to
all road crossings, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the canal and a
new community plaza.
The route will also form part of the Dublin to Galway
Greenway, which was first announced in 2012 by then-Transport Minister Leo
Varadkar and was due to be completed in 2020
The Phase 3 works to the Royal Canal Greenway were approved
in 2015 but the tender was not issued until April of last year.
It’s a collaboration between Dublin City Council, Waterways
Ireland and Irish Rail.
In addition to cycling and walking network upgrades the
project, in partnership with ESB Networks, will also facilitate future electricity
network upgrades.
Dublin City Council today turned the sod on the project and
Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy said she was “delighted to have reached
the point where we can begin work on this immensely important project”.
She added that the “will also play an important part in our
common objective of reducing our carbon footprint”.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the project
“will link communities, friends, schools, and sporting facilities” and along the way.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe labelled it a
“hugely exciting project for the city but equally a very important one for the
North Inner City and Dublin Central”.
Elsewhere, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport
Authority Anne Graham explained more about the Phase 3 works:
“The delivery of this section will provide safe segregated
cycling along the Royal Canal, linking the docklands to many of the city’s
radial transport corridors, and on to places like Clontarf, Swords & the
Airport, Ballymun and Finglas, and to the planned Glasnevin Metrolink Station.”
Máirín Ó Cuireáin, Waterways Ireland Dublin Development
Manager added that these works “will link Spencer Dock in Dublin 1 with
Maynooth in Co Kildare, where the Royal Canal Greenway goes all the way to the
Shannon”.