The bridge from famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava was built in Krimpen aan de IJssel, near Rotterdam. It was shipped from Krimpen via Rotterdam on the third of May 2009. The departure from Rotterdam was a small event. Rotterdammers are proud of their maritime industry; several hundreds gathered along the river to wave the bridge goodbye. Here are some photos of the bridge, the meeting of the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the Erasmusbridge and of people admiring Samuel Beckett Bridge.

Photo above by Jan Oosterman. Calatrava meets Ben van Berkel

Photos below by Jeroen Laven

It will sail over the North Sea, English Channel, George's Channel, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea to Dublin, where the bridge will find its position coming saturday, on May the 9th.

In Dublin the bridge will be named "Samuel Beckett-bridge" after the famous Irish writer. It will connect the Dublin docklands to the northside. It will be the second Calatrava bridge in Dublin.

The bridge links the North and South Inner Ring Roads in Dublin, has 4 lanes of traffic with reservation for Luas Link bus and is due for completion during 2010. Map from www.spencerdock.ie

The bridges length is 123 meters, its 33 meters wide and the height is 45 meters. The bridges weight is 2250 tons.

Did the bridge finally make it to Dublin. Yes! But it wasn't without difficulties, as articles in the local Irish press report:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0514/1224246463558.html

http://ireland.archiseek.com/news/2009/000116.html

http://www.thedailystuff.ie/beckettbridgearrival.html

More about the future plans concerning the Samuel Beckett bridge:

http://www.irish-architecture.com/news/2006/000092.html