East-Link (Dublin)

The Tom Clarke Bridge (Irish: Droichead Thomáis Uí Chléirigh), formerly and commonly known as the East-Link Toll Bridge, is a toll bridge in Dublin, Ireland, on the River Liffey, owned and operated by Dublin City Council. The bascule-type lifting bridge, which links North Wall to Ringsend, is the last bridge on the Liffey, which opens out into Dublin Port and then Dublin Bay just beyond. The bridge forms part of the R131 regional road.

Tom Clarke Bridge Droichead Thomáis Uí Chléirigh
The bridge from the south bank of the Liffey looking downstream
Coordinates	53.3457°N 6.2274°W / 53.3457; -6.2274
Crosses	River Liffey
Locale	Dublin
Maintained by	Dublin City Council
Preceded by	Samuel Beckett Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Bascule bridge
History
Construction cost	£8 million
Opened	21 October 1984; 39 years ago (1984-10-21)
Statistics
Daily traffic	14,000-17,000
Toll	Motorcycles: Free Cars: €2.20 Buses / Commercials < 2T: €3.40 Commercials > 2T (2 Axles): €4.60 Commercials > 2T (3 Axles): €5.60 Commercials > 2T (4 Axles): €6.80
Location

Background and use

The bridge is the most easterly crossing on the Liffey and replaced a number of ferries that carried cross-river traffic at the point as early as 1655.^[1] The bridge was built by NTR, and opened to vehicular traffic in October 1984.^[1] The bridge reverted to city council control on 31 December 2015.^[2]

The city centre is west of the bridge, which links routes on the eastern side of Dublin city. The Dublin Port Tunnel terminates north of the East-Link along East Wall Road, in the Docklands on the north bank of the Liffey. Most of Dublin's docklands are east of the bridge, but it is raised on average three times per day to allow river traffic to pass.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2016, between 14,000 and 17,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge.^[3][4] As of 2016, lorries and cars pay, either in cash or using electronic tokens, and cycles and motorbikes cross for free.^[5] The tolling area and administrative offices are on the south (Ringsend) side of the bridge.

Name

Aerial view with the bridge's bascule lift span raised for a ship

Originally adopting a functional name,^[6] the East-Link bridge was officially renamed as Thomas Clarke Bridge by President Michael D. Higgins to commemorate the Irish republican Thomas Clarke.^[7]

The renaming ceremony was held on 3 May 2016, marking the centenary of the day Clarke was shot in Kilmainham Gaol for his involvement in the 1916 Easter Rising.^[8]

Incidents

In October 1985, a ship named the MV Miranda Guinness, with a cargo of Guinness beer bound for Liverpool, collided with the bridge.^[9]

See also

• West-Link
• Roads in Ireland

References

1. "First Toll Bridge Opens at East-Link Dublin 1984". RTÉ Archives. RTÉ. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
2. "Tolls could be lifted at the East Link, but council bosses say they should stay". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
3. "22 October-East Link Toll Bridge Dublin". On This Day. OTD.ie. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016. Today it is used by over 14,000 vehicles per day
4. "Projects - East-Link Toll Scheme". Egis Group. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
5. "Toll rates".
6. "East-Link Bridge - What's in a Name". Bridges of Dublin. Dublin City Council. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
7. "East Link bridge renamed after 1916 leader Tom Clarke". Irish Times. 3 May 2016.
8. "The East Link toll bridge is now officially named after a 1916 leader". The Journal. 3 May 2016.
9. McCaughren, Michelle (29 October 1985). The Guinness ship Lady Miranda collides with a Dublin bridge (VHS). RTÉ News. Retrieved 31 October 2017 – via RTÉ Archives.