Peace Bridge, Londonderry: design and construction

Abstract

Londonderry in Northern Ireland is a city divided both physically and symbolically by the River Foyle. As part of an integrated programme of regeneration for the city, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge was constructed to provide access from the historic city centre to a new mixed-use development on the opposite side of the river. Because of the symbolic significance of creating a link between the historically divided communities on either side of the river, the bridge was named Peace Bridge. The 310-m-long curved self-anchored suspension structure was opened in June 2011 and has already become a landmark for the city. This paper describes how the client's requirements were incorporated into the unique design and summarises the main elements of the detailed design and construction.