There were celebrations this week as a new toll road and bridge opened months ahead of schedule in Co Waterford.

The 23km Waterford City toll-bypass was officially opened on Monday - some ten months ahead of the original timetable.

Part of the N25, the road was developed at a cost of more than €500 million and will feature the longest cable-stayed bridge in the State.

The 465m bridge spanning the River Suir was officially opened by Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen and the Chairman of the National Roads Authority, Peter Malone.

"This new gateway to Waterford heralds a new beginning for Waterford and for the South East," Mr Cullen said.

Mr Malone said the bridge will "breathe new life into the city and the region as a whole, allowing business and industry to operate more efficiently".

Sightseers and pedestrians were being allowed to wander the length and breadth of the bridge on Monday to 'inspect the work' before motorised traffic was finally allowed across it from about 4.30pm.

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Charges for using the route are to be €1 for motorbikes, €1.90 for cars and €3.40 for buses and coaches. Goods vehicles pay a maximum of €6.10.

It is expected that 14,000 vehicles will use the route each day, reducing volumes in Waterford city by about 30% and removing up to 12,000 vehicles a day from the city’s quays.

The new route begins at Kilmeadan to the west of the city and crosses the River Suir to tie in with the existing N25 route to Rosslare, Waterford and Cork to the east, at Slieverue village.

The bypass includes a new connection, known as the Western Link, to industrial areas to the southwest of Waterford city. It also links to the M9/N9 and N24 to the Grannagh Interchange.

The route is expected to cut 20 minutes off the journey on the N25 between Cork to the port of Rosslare, via Waterford City.

The current N25 route passes along the congested city quays and crosses the River Suir over Rice Bridge.

Joint venture contractors, BAM (Ascon) and Dragados are behind the centrepiece of the project, the record-breaking 465m cable-stayed bridge.

Designed to carry two lanes of traffic in each direction, the river crossing is now Ireland's longest and tallest cable-stayed bridge, with a 230m uninterrupted span across the river, two back spans of 91.5m and 66.5m and end spans of 35m and 42m.

The total height of the dramatic inverted Y pylon, from the base of the pile cap to the top of the beacon, is 118m.

The bridge deck is supported by steel cables radiating out in a fan shaped arrangement from the single pylon constructed within a reclaimed peninsula on the south edge of the river. The river span provides a clearance of 14m at mean high water springs over the navigation channel.

In addition to the cable-stayed bridge, construction involved 23km of dual carriageway and other link roads, 60 other structures, including bridges, culverts, a toll plaza and two complex grade-separated junctions.

(BMcC/KMcA)