Seven bridges for Foyle?

LONDONDERRY could end up with SEVEN bridges across the River Foyle - including two new foot bridges at Duke Street/Foyleside and Prehen/Daisyfield and two new road bridges at King Street/Foyle Embankment and Newbuildings/Molenan - if proposals contained in a new draft riverside masterplan are realised.

The new masterplan proposes a second foot and cycle bridge from Duke Street roundabout to Foyleside Shopping Centre as part of a scheme to create a new city centre core that includes Ebrington.

The report also allows for the potential future development of a road bridge from the King Street roundabout pending the formalisation of the Integrated Transport Strategy; the development of a new footbridge between the Daisyfield and Prehen; and the design of easy pedestrian and cyclist access into a possible new orbital bridge crossing close to Newbuildings.

The ‘Draft Strategic Riverside Masterplan’ also recommends the extension of an uninterrupted ‘greenway’ along the Waterside riverfront and improved connectivity between the river and Spencer Road in order to encourage greater public use.

The transformative proposals also envisage the establishment of an “urban boulevard” on the Waterside link and the creation of a large open public realm space near Duke Street roundabout.

Also on the cards is the re-location of the existing railway terminus from its current location to Ebrington and the Peace Bridge. Pedestrian and cycle access to and past Craigavon Bridge also needs to be improved.

The new report states: “As described previously, the Space Syntax study showed that the potential second pedestrian bridge would significantly increase movement potential between the Cityside and the Waterside.

“This would allow freer, looped movements between the existing city centre, Ebrington and Waterside and would assist in spreading the central core of activity across the River Foyle and in particular towards Waterside giving potential to regenerate a wider area.

“As a result the approach has been to include this additional cross-river connection in the Urban Waterfront Framework and provide a significant node for activity on the east river bank (the Waterside) where a potential bridge would land.

“This creates an inner looped pedestrian connection around a highly accessible core, with the existing Craigavon and Foyle Bridges forming a wider vehicular and pedestrian loop.”

Civic planners warn, however, that any new bridge in the city centre must have as much navigational clearance as the Peace Bridge in order to protect recreational boating.

Proposed fixed bridges downstream of the Peace Bridge with less navigational clearance than the Foyle Bridge are not allowed unless they are opening structures suitable for transit of visiting navy, cruise and other ships.

They must also have a closed deck clearance sufficient for passage of typical yachts and cruisers.

Equally, no bridge with less navigational clearance than the Peace Bridge should be developed upstream of Craigavon Bridge until the optimum design criteria have been established following a detailed analysis of the upstream cruising opportunity.

Referring to the Waterside area generally the report acknowledges Spencer Road as its commercial hub but notes that connectivity between it and the river’s edge is limited both physically and visually.

“Road and rail corridors act as a barrier to the waterfront, as do large buildings set into the slope in the form of multi-level car parking and television studios.

“The combination of the severance created by the road and rail corridors, as well as the large plot grain running parallel to Spencer Road act as a real barrier to the flow of pedestrian movement directly towards the river,” it states.

“The urban framework proposes to create more development land and improve connections between Spencer road and the waterfront below by removing the Duke Street roundabout and through the relocation of the rail terminus northwards towards Ebrington and the base of the Peace Bridge.

“There are however significant level issues to be tackled in creating these positive connections. Appropriate solutions to reduce the scale of the dual carriageway to allow safer pedestrian connectivity between Spencer Road and the river will also need to be explored,” it adds.

The report also suggests that the Waterside waterfront has the capacity for development assuming the railway station is moved to Ebrington.

It also argues that the historical important features at Ebrington need to be protected.

“The setting and aspect of Ebrington star fort should be protected and there should therefore be a presumption against general development between the line of King Street and the foot of Browning Drive. Essential buildings as may be permitted such as the relocated railway station should be designed with extreme care to minimise profile and visual impact,” it stated.

The masterplan also allows for some development on the Foyle provided it is not damaging environmentally.

“It may be appropriate to permit some degree of encroachment into the river between the current position of the railway station and Ebrington (assumes re-location of railway to Ebrington) where the river wall is poorly defined and off channel and where deepening of the plot width may improve the overall regeneration potential of the waterfront.

“All such interventions should recognise the river regime and ecological sensitivities of the river and be designed to minimise environmental impact,” it states.

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