Providing another means of crossing the River Corrib safely for residents and tourists alike

Wolfe Tone Pedestrian Bridge II - Engineering and Environmental Services

The Wolfe Tone Bridge is a vital link across the River Corrib for Galway City, connecting the west of city to the east. The bridge is a busy thoroughfare for pedestrians heading between the city center and the West End, Salthill, and the Claddagh areas. The Galway Transport Strategy identified this bridge as the bridge with the most trips within the city center, carrying twice as much volume of traffic as the Salmon Weir Bridge and six times more volume than nearby O’Brien’s Bridge.

While a pedestrian bridge had been built on the north side of Wolfe Tone Bridge in 2024, Galway City Council recognized the need for an additional pedestrian crossing and set out to add another bridge to the south. They engaged our team to provide engineering and environmental consultancy services for this project.

Due to the nature of the design works taking place above a critical waterway, there was potential for interaction to occur from the construction phase of the works, primarily relating to the potential for effect on water quality, as well as disturbance of species due to noise and vibration. Along with preliminary and detailed design, we provided environmental impact assessment (EIA) and appropriate assessment (AA) screenings. We also conducted archaeology and built heritage assessment and developed a detailed construction and environmental management plan (CEMP) to help avoid any significant impact on the environment or Natura 2000 sites.

Now complete, the second Wolfe Tone Pedestrian Bridge provides another means of crossing the River Corrib safely for residents and tourists alike.