The bridge is equally impressive at night, with LED downlighting integrated into the hand and toe rails.
Roughan & O’Donovan (ROD) won the coveted Engineering Project of the Year award at the Irish Building and Design Awards (IBDA) last Friday, 4 April.
The award is in recognition of our work on Whitegates to Athlone Castle Cycleway, a technically complex but visually simple crossing of the River Shannon in Athlone town centre. The 104m long, two-span, steel girder bridge stands at a site of important historical and commercial interest, with the Church of Ss. Peter and Paul and the Luan Gallery on the west and the Radisson Blu Hotel and the marina on the east. Its crisp, minimalist design complements its urban surrounds, forming a cohesive visual palette along the river.
The bridge is a vital link in the EuroVelo Route 2 Galway to Dublin Cycleway project, a dedicated coast-to-coast cycleway stretching 270km across the country. It enhances urban life and vibrancy in Athlone, strengthening a walking and cycling culture in the town, creating connections for sustainable tourism and promoting good health and wellbeing.
The site posed several technical challenges, including the need to construct a western approach ramp and boardwalk while maintaining an existing mature treeline along the river. There was also restricted space for construction and access on both banks of the river.
ROD Managing Director, Marc Jones, praised the project team, including Westmeath County Council; ROD’s joint venture partner, AECOM; subconsultant, Seán Harrington Architects; and the main contractor, Jons Civil Engineering, for their dedication to the project. “This award is a tribute to the passion and commitment of the entire project team, who successfully negotiated significant design and construction challenges to deliver a unique and innovative bridge the people of Athlone can be proud of.”
The IBDAs celebrate the best of Irish building and design, in Ireland and around the world. The shortlist for the Engineering Project of the Year award included three exceptional projects, namely, Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade, Monaghan Peace Campus and Beaulieu Solar Farm.