Dublin Port Company Progresses Landmark Tolka-Estuary Greenway
28 August 2023
New Greenway for the Capital will offer Pedestrians and Cyclists novel access to Dublin Port
Dublin Port announced today 28 August 2023 that work has commenced on the Tolka-Estuary Greenway, a dedicated 3.2km cycle and pedestrian route along the Northern perimeter of the Port overlooking the Tolka Estuary. The Tolka-Estuary Greenway is a celebration of an area of the Port that has never been accessed by the public before and it is a key element of Dublin Port’s ambitious Tolka-Estuary Project first announced in November 2020.
The Tolka-Estuary project also includes the development of a 6.3km distributed museum within the Port, and the Liffey Tolka Greenway, a proposed additional tree lined pedestrian and cycle route between the Liffey and the Tolka Estuary along the East Wall Road.
Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, Dublin Port said,
“We are very excited seeing construction of this element of the Tolka-Estuary Project commence. By next summer Dubliners will be able to safely enjoy the River Liffey and Tolka Estuary on foot or by bike through the Port. The Tolka-Estuary Greenway will allow Dubliners enjoy novel perspectives of the city, the Estuary, its flora and fauna, the Port and eventually the Distributed Museum we are creating here, which includes the Pumphouse and the Flour Mill. We have always said that our ambition is to open up the Port as an amenity for the city and the Greenway will be transformative in this regard.”
The first section of the Tolka-Estuary Greenway stretches 1.9km from the Port’s boundary with Eastpoint Business Park to the Irish Ferries and Stena Line check-in booths on Terminal Road. The route required extensive coastal protection and heavy civil engineering works prior to construction but is now expected to open to the public by summer 2024. The second 1.3km section of the Greenway will bring the Greenway route to the most Eastern point of Dublin Port overlooking Dublin Bay and a brand new 800-metre linear park.
On completion Dublin Port’s Greenway will link Dublin with the proposed National Galway to Dublin Cycleway, a 270km dedicated traffic-free cycling route which follows the Royal Canal Greenway and the Old Rail Trail Greenway from Dublin via Maynooth and Athlone to Galway City. It will also link Ireland with EuroVelo 2, The Capitals Route, a 5,500km (3,400 mi) long cycling east-west European route which passes through Ireland, The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, German, Poland and Belarus. Tourists arriving in Ireland with their bikes from Hollyhead in Wales and Cherbourg in France will now be able to leave the Dublin Port on this purpose-built greenway.
Dr. Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland said,
“As National EuroVelo Coordinator, Sport Ireland also welcomes this proposed new infrastructure which will facilitate cyclists travelling the section of the EuroVelo 2 cycle route in Ireland, also known as the Galway – Dublin Cycleway. The proposed new greenways will bring cyclists arriving at the port on a route which will ultimately connect the port to the Royal Canal Greenway and onwards to the west of Ireland. Cycling is a fantastic way to stay active and improve overall fitness and I am delighted to see work progressing on the development of dedicated cycling infrastructure in the Dublin Port area. As well as providing an opportunity for people who work in the port to cycle more safely to work, this infrastructure will provide traffic-free recreational cycling opportunities for the local community.”
The Distributed Museum within the Port includes The Pumphouse which formerly housed the steam engine which powered the gates of Graving Docks 1 & 2 but has been repurposed by Dublin port into an artistic and cultural venue and The Flour Mill, the former Odlums Flour Mill on Alexandra Road which will be transformed into a National Maritime Archive, two 300-seat performance venues, as well as studio and exhibition spaces for artists. The Flour Mill will be developed in stages as part of Masterplan 2040 alongside major port infrastructure projects.
Barry O’Connell, CEO, Dublin Port Company said,
“The Tolka-Estuary Greenway is another important milestone in delivering on our Port-City commitments as part of Masterplan 2040. The new cycling and pedestrian route linking the River Liffey with the Tolka-Estuary will no doubt prove to be an incredibly popular amenity and provide people with novel access to the Port and the opportunity to see the maritime and industrial landmarks along the route.”