Bridging the gap

The Peace Bridge is a cycle and footbridge built across the River Foyle that was designed to connect Derry’s predominantly east-side unionist community to its predominantly west-side nationalist community. It was officially opened to the public on 25th June 2011 and in attendance were the EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness, and the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The 235-meter bridge was constructed by Wilkinson Eyre at a cost of £14 million. The River Foyle is one of the best salmon rivers in Ireland and is also the fastest-flowing river in Europe for its size which made its construction extremely challenging.