Work to start on 2.1km cycle path along Royal Canal in Dublin at a cost of €30m

Construction has started on a €30 million cycle path running for 2.1km along the Royal Canal from the North Strand to Phibsborough in Dublin.

The project, first approved by city councillors more than seven years ago, involves an upgrade of the existing paved towpath, accessible ramps from the canal to all road crossings, and a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the canal. It is due be completed in mid-2025.

The cycle path is the third section of a 277km greenway from Dublin to Galway to be progressed by the city council. The first section of the route, a 500m stretch from Guild Street at the north quays to Sheriff Street, was completed more than a decade ago.

Councillors in 2015 approved the continuation of the path. However, the project stalled until February of 2019 when work started on the second phase, bringing the path to Newcomen Bridge at North Strand Road. That section, a 750m stretch, opened in mid-2020 after a spend of €8.9 million.

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The council said at the time that tenders for phase three would be issued later that year, but it was not until the middle of last year that builders were sought.

Just over 7km of the canal path lies within the city boundary. Phase three, which will run from Newcomen Bridge to Cross Guns Bridge at Phibsborough, will bring the total length of greenway constructed by the council to 3.2km.

The final city council section, a 4.3km section from Phibsborough to Longford Bridge in Ashtown, has been divided into a number of phases which are at design stage. A 2km section from Ashtown to the 12th lock in Castleknock was completed by Fingal County Council in 2015.

Speaking on Wednesday at a sod-turning event to mark the start of construction, National Transport Authority chief executive Anne Graham said the path would help to reduce car dependency.

“The delivery of this section will provide safe segregated cycling along the Royal Canal, linking the docklands to many of the city’s radial transport corridors, and on to places like Clontarf, Swords and the airport, Ballymun and Finglas, and to the planned Glasnevin Metrolink station,” she said.

“We believe this will encourage more people to walk or cycle as part of their daily commute. This is good news for commuters and those interested in active travel, but it’s also good news when it comes to meeting our climate action targets.”

While a path was already in place beside the canal, the €30 million price tag to upgrade it was not excessive, she said.

“It’s not just shared walking and cycling facilities, there are also bridges and in terms of upgrading this whole length of it, it does cost that kind of money and we are prepared to invest in it.”

A “significant bridge” was required at Croke Park, she said. “We have also had significant construction inflation in the meantime and that comes into play as well.”

The greenway from Galway to Dublin was announced in 2012 by then minister for transport Leo Varadkar and was due to be completed in 2020. While several counties have finished sections, it remains incomplete.