Foyle Bridge (1984) Derry, Northern Ireland

​The Foyle Bridge crosses the River Foyle on the north side of Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland and is one of just two road bridges crossing the river in the city.

Constructed between 1980 and 1984 the bridge is 866m (2,839 ft) long and comprises seven approach spans on the east site and three main spans across the river. The approach spans are of pre-stressed box construction and the three main spans were built of steel by Harland & Wolff in Belfast. Six segments each weighing 900 tonnes were transported by sea from Belfast to the site where they were raised into place.

The bridge was built for the Roads Service of Northern Ireland by RDL-Graham Joint Venture and consulting engineers Ove Arup & Partners at a cost of £15.76 million. Its overall length and its central cantilever span at 234m (767 ft) are the longest of any bridge in Ireland.

Image of Foyle Bridge (1984)

Foyle Bridge, Derry, Northern Ireland

© Kenneth Allen [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A two year improvement programme was carried out on the bridge between 2003 and 2005. The strengthened and resurfaced bridge was finished to four-lane dual carriageway standard at a cost of £10.6 million.

While more than 30,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, it is susceptible to the effect of cross winds and a lorry driver lost his life when his vehicle was blown off the bridge in 2005. A bridge management system now monitors the wind speed and the bridge is closed to traffic when the speed exceeds 50mph.

Links: Wikipedia