Latest news

Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, and Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, unveiled the designs for Derry ~ Londonderry’s new Peace Bridge which will run from former military base, Ebrington to the rear of the Guildhall.

The third bridge across the River Foyle, the Peace Bridge has been given £13,343,476 from the European Union’s PEACE III Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The programme’s theme of Creating Shared Public Space aims to support large scale infrastructure developments that will tackle problems of separated communities by creating genuine new shared space or transforming contested space.

Now that the funding for the foot and cycling bridge over the River Foyle has been announced; Sustrans and its partners can commence to build a network of greenways to link communities on both sides of the river to the bridge.

Sustrans and Derry City Council are working to connect people in the west and east sides of the city through the Connect2 network of walking and cycling paths which converge on the bridge. The paths complement the bridge to open up the city for everyday journeys by people on foot and by bike, ensuring its a living and breathing asset to the City.

Last December the people of Derry~Londonderry voted for a network of traffic-free paths to complement this bridge and open up the city for everyday journeys on foot and by bike as part of the Sustrans' Connect2 lottery fund.

This confirmation of the funding for the bridge takes us a massive step closer to seeing the plans become a reality. We look forward to working with our partners on Connect2, which will enable people to get where they need to go under their own steam, and ensure the bridge becomes a living and breathing asset to the City.

The programme for delivery is well under way and the contractors have lodge the planning application in May. The contractors are aiming to start on site in September 2009 and the estimated completion date is October 2010.

Published on 05th Jun 2009