Arup to oversee new pedestrian bridge linking Eastgate with Little Island rail station
The proposed crossing would extend for approximately 460 metres between Little Island station and Eastgate Business Park, above.
Plans for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Little Island train station with Eastgate Business Park have taken a step forward with the appointment of a team to bring the project through detailed design and construction.
Cork County Council has appointed engineering consultancy Arup to oversee the project, which will cross both the N25 and the Cork to Midleton railway line.
The contract covers detailed design, preparation and assessment of construction tenders, supervision of the building work and the eventual handover of the bridge.
Tender documents place the project in a category covering construction valued at more than €10m before vat.
The consultancy work had an estimated value of €398,650, although the value of Arup’s winning bid was not disclosed.
The contract was signed on May 19 and is expected to run for 32 months.
The proposed crossing would extend for approximately 460 metres between Little Island station and Eastgate Business Park.
It would also connect with the L3004 Glounthaune Road and surrounding areas. A minimum width of five metres is planned for pedestrians and cyclists.
The scheme includes a single-span steel bridge over the N25 and a two-span concrete structure through Irish Rail lands. Elevated concrete sections would also be built over an amenity park beside the Glounthaune Road and through the wooded area between the N25 and the Radisson Blu Hotel.
Other works would include new and upgraded paths, green embankments, improvements to the amenity park and the planting of trees and other vegetation around the crossing.
Cork County Council sought planning approval for the development in 2023. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report was prepared as part of that application.
The bridge is intended to provide a direct walking and cycling route between the train station, Eastgate and the wider Little Island area, removing the need for pedestrians and cyclists to negotiate existing routes around the N25 and railway line.
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