‘It’s a huge bonus to the community’: Cork’s Vernon Mount Bridge officially opened

Cork’s newest pedestrian and cycle path and bridge was officially opened this morning by the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan and the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Kieran McCarthy.

Funded by the National Transport Authority, the four-metre wide, 63-metre-long Vernon Mount Bridge and one-kilometre long pathway provides safe and accessible connectivity between Grange/Frankfield and Tramore Valley Park, and onwards to Douglas and the city centre.

The pathway is also accessible for people with mobility needs and includes environmentally sensitive public lighting.

Speaking at the opening this morning, Minister Ryan said the new bridge would provide a safe link into the city from Grange, through Tramore Valley Park and towards the centre, which he said “is going to help make it even more attractive, for locals, for commuters and for visitors.” 

“The Grange to Tramore Valley Way gives people the safe and attractive option to leave the car at home. The more people who do that the less cars we will have on our roads, freeing them up of congestion. The new bridge across the busy N40 South Ring Road is also a great example of how we can connect residents to facilities on the other side of a busy road that may have otherwise acted as a barrier, giving people greater freedom to walk or cycle safely, in this case to enjoy the woods or access shops or playing fields, for example, on the other side without the need to hop in the car," he added.

Naming of the bridge

As part of the project Cork City Council acquired 13 acres of woodland to increase the overall biodiversity and green park area within the city.

The bridge was named through a public naming submission process set up by Cork City Council.

Over the course of a month, a total of 598 submissions were received from the public, which were eventually whittled down to the six most popular names and finally voted on by the elected members of Council.

The chosen name is significant as the bridge is located within the sightline of local landmark and former Georgian stately home, Vernon Mount House which was named for Mount Vernon, the home of US President George Washington. 

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy said he was delighted to be a part of the celebrations surrounding the opening of the strategic transport project.

“It’s a huge bonus to the community here, now they can safely travel on foot or by bike to and from Grange, Tramore Valley Park, Douglas and the city centre without having to get in their cars. It will go a long way to improving the quality of our environment and indeed the quality of life for the people who will use this new route.” 

The Chief Executive of Cork City Council Ann Doherty said that in line with the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, the project supports residents, commuters and students to make more sustainable transport choices which will help reduce car dependency and therefore traffic congestion in the city.

Further projects 

The National Transport Authority CEO, Anne Graham said that they are working with Cork City Council on further active travel schemes.

"This new pedestrian and cycling link for Cork City delivers much-needed connectivity for the local communities it serves. It is one of a number of exciting active travel projects that the NTA is working on with Cork City Council and we look forward to more schemes coming online in Cork in the coming months,” she said.

"Across the country, we are seeing the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure, such as the Grange to Tramore Valley Park pedestrian and cycle link, that will encourage more of us to choose active travel for our everyday journeys."

The bridge was constructed by Thompsons of Carlow and lifted into place using a 650-tonne crane in April. 

Construction works were carried out by Jons Civil Engineering Company Ltd.