Peace Bridge launched

Speaking at a special ceremony to mark the start of work on the bridge Martin McGuinness said: “It is my sincere hope that the new bridge will be a catalyst for change and will help transform this city and the local community in the widest sense. It represents a real opportunity to improve relationships by transcending the physical divide of the river which, for so long, has been viewed as a boundary between the Waterside and the city side.

“It will bring Ebrington into shared, public use for the first time in almost 170 years. Most importantly, it will enable the local community to reclaim this prime riverside location for their own enjoyment.”

Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie said: “This is great news for the people of the North West. I welcome the commencement of work on the new bridge which will be a dynamic new structure in the heart of the city. This new foot and cycle bridge will encourage all the citizens of Derry to have a renewed sense of pride in their city centre. On a practical level, it will create a safe, attractive, convenient and high quality route into the central area for pedestrians and cyclists. But in addition to its contribution to the local transport infrastructure, I hope the new bridge will literally bring people in the City together and underline our resolve to create a Shared Future in Derry and the North. I have no doubt the bridge will quickly become both an important new amenity for residents and a must-see attraction for visitors to the city.”

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.

Outlining the importance of the new bridge, Chairman of Ilex, Sir Roy McNulty, said: “This is a great day for the city. The Peace Bridge is the most significant capital project in Derry/ Londonderry for decades and is of fundamental importance to the regeneration programme. It will unite the city physically and symbolically and will act as a catalyst for transformation and future growth. The fact that the European Union is providing funding for the bridge under the PEACE III Shared Space theme underlines the Peace Bridge’s contribution to shared, public spaces within the city.

“To mark this important milestone Ministers are launching a process asking people to let us know what they think should be included in a time capsule to be placed in Ebrington to mark the completion of this iconic project and to represent the city’s history, its people, and their aspirations for the future”.

Mayor Paul Fleming said that it marked the beginning of new opportunities for the city and was an important achievement in the city’s regeneration programme.

The Peace Bridge is scheduled to complete by December 2010.