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A sod-turning ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of construction on Phase 3 of the Royal Canal Greenway (RCGP3) in Dublin.
Led by Dublin City Council, the RCGP3 project will provide 2.1km of high quality footpath and cycle track along the banks of the Royal Canal, extending from Newcomen Bridge, North Strand to Cross Guns Bridge, Phibsborough. When complete, there will be a continuous 3.2km cycling and walking route through the north city from Phibsborough to the River Liffey.
It will also include accessible ramps from the canal towpath to all road crossings, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the canal and a new community plaza, as well as tree planting and the delivery of soft landscaping.
"I am delighted to have reached the point where we can begin work on this immensely important project, it will be an incredible amenity for the area and the city," said the Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy. "We will be able to enjoy the canal more, experience safer walking and cycling facilities and connect with each other more, particularly for those living or working in the northern part of the city. This project will also play an important part in our common objective of reducing our carbon footprint. It is the third phase to be implemented on the Royal Canal, demonstrating Dublin City Council's commitment to roll out a state of the art active travel network."
The project is a result of a collaborative effort between Dublin City Council, Waterways Ireland and Irish Rail. In addition to cycling and walking network upgrades the project, in partnership with ESB Networks, will facilitate future electricity network upgrades.
The RCGP3 project is one of many initiatives being implemented as part of Dublin City Council's Active Travel Network. Over the next eight years, the Active Travel Network will grow from its existing 10km to a connected network of 310km (including CycleConnects and BusConnects) across the city.
"The best thing about this phase of the Royal Canal Greenway is that it means that there will be a safe and peaceful walking and cycling path stretching from Phibsborough to North Strand, parallel to the busy North Circular Road," commented Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD. "It will link communities, friends, schools, sporting facilities along the way. People often think about Greenways as facilities for tourists or visitors first but that’s not their primary purpose. Greenways are for locals, to help ensure that people living in an area – in this case an historic and relatively densely populated part of the city – can get to where they want to go to or can just enjoy the route without having to negotiate traffic clogged roads."
The RCGP3 project costs €30.85m and is funded by the National Transport Authority's Active Travel Programme. It is scheduled for completion in Q2 2025.
"The National Transport Authority is delighted to support the continued development of the Royal Canal Greenway in the Greater Dublin Area," added the Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority Anne Graham. "The upgrade of this section, linking Phibsborough Road with North Strand continues the roll-out of Dublin's core cycle network, reduces dependency on private cars and provides residents and visitors with sustainable transport options. The delivery of this section will provide safe segregated cycling along the Royal Canal, linking the docklands to many of the city's radial transport corridors, and on to places like Clontarf, Swords & the Airport, Ballymun and Finglas, and to the planned Glasnevin Metrolink Station. We believe this will encourage more people to walk or cycle as part of their daily commute. This is good news for commuters and those interested in active travel, but it's also good news when it comes to meeting our climate action targets."
