Michael Davitt Bridge
| Michael Davitt Bridge | |
| County Mayo | |
|---|---|
 The current Michael Davitt Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Between: | Ireland and Achill Island |
| Type: | Swing bridge |
| Carrying: | Road |
| Crossing: | Achill Sound |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | L73879985 |
| Location: | 53°55’58"N, 9°55’17"W |
| Structure | |
| Length: | 120 feet |
| Type: | Swing bridge |
| History | |
| Built 2008 | |
| Architect: | Malachy Walsh & Partners |
| Information | |
The Michael Davitt Bridge is a swing bridge in County Mayo that crosses from Achill Island to the Irish mainland.
The current bridge is the third in this position, each one of which has borne the name 'Michael Davitt Bridge'; the bridge is named after Michael Davitt, 19th Century Irish social campaigner, Fenian, and founder of the National Land League: Davitt officially opened the bridge in 1887.[1]
History
The plan for a bridge to connect Achill Island to Mayo's Corraun peninsula was considered in the early 1880s. A Mayo County surveyor drew up plans, which were approved by J. Price, a civil engineer. The official authorization was received from The Board of Trade in London and in 1883 an administrative body was organized to finance it ; total cost was projected to be approximately £5,000.[2] The costs exceeded the estimates. However, John Grey Vesey Porter of Fermanagh contributed his personal funds, so that the bridge could be built as designed.[3] The bridge's structure consisted of a steel bowstring girder construction with a span of 120 feet pivoting on a central pier. The roadway was eight feet in width.[3]
The 1887 bridge was designed for horse-drawn traffic and deteriorated with the advent of heavier motorized traffic in the 1900s. In 1947 the Mayo County Council planned to demolish and replace the bridge. J.C. McLaughlin of Dublin undertook the construction, which was the largest bridge construction project by an Irish company at the time. It was completed in early 1949.[1]
By 2007 the bridge had a number of problems with its swing mechanism, which hindered boat traffic. A review of its structures indicated corrosion and the Mayo County Council gave its backing to provide a new swing bridge.[4] Its new design by Malachy Walsh & Partners was based on a Spanish Calatrava architectural model.[1] SIAC Construction undertook the work and it was opened in 2008.[5]
The finished bridge weighs 390 tons, but is still operated manually.[6]
In November 2010, the bridge failed to close for over 2 hours, which resulted in a traffic snarl. The Mayo County Council ordered the bridge consultants and contractors to investigate this failure. The senior engineer, Michael Mongan, said minor modifications were put in place to resolve the issues. The bridge recommenced operations on a trial basis with the bridge back in full operation by the end of March 2011.[7]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Michael Davitt Bridge) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Michael Davitt Bridge (2008) on Bridges of Dublin: Famous Bridges:
- ↑ 'The Michael Davitt Bridge, Achill Island Co. Mayo, in the West of Ireland': Mayo; Ireland
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bridging the past and present': The Mayo News
- ↑ 'Achill bridge problem': The Mayo News
- ↑ 'New bridge at Achill to open this week': The Irish Times
- ↑ 'Achill Reaffirms its Status as Ireland’s Largest Island with the Help of Mayo Sailing Club: David O'Brien in Afloat, 5 September 2017
- ↑ 'Achill bridge expected to be operational at the end of March': The Mayo News
