Construction has started on Phase 3 of the Royal Canal Greenway, which runs from Dublin’s North Strand to Phibsborough.

Phase 3 of the project will come in at a cost of just under €31 million and will provide 2.1km of pedestrian and cycle track along the banks of the Royal Canal, extending from Newcomen Bridge at the North Strand Road to Crossguns Bridge in Phibsborough.

Upon completion, which is expected in the second quarter of 2025, there will be a continuous 3.2km cycling and walking route through the north city from Phibsborough to the River Liffey.

It will include accessible ramps from the canal towpath to all road crossings, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Royal Canal and a new community plaza.

The route will also form part of the Dublin to Galway Greenway, which was first announced in 2012 by then-Transport Minister Leo Varadkar and was due to be completed in 2020.

The Phase 3 works to the Royal Canal Greenway were approved in 2015 but the tender was not issued until April of last year. The project is a collaboration 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 also facilitate future electricity network upgrades.

On Friday (17 February) Dublin City Council turned the sod on the project and Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy said she was “delighted to have reached the point where we can begin work on this immensely important project”.

She added that the greenway “will also play an important part in our common objective of reducing our carbon footprint”.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the project “will link communities, friends, schools and sporting facilities” along the way.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe labelled it a “hugely exciting project for the city but equally a very important one for the North Inner City and Dublin Central”.

Elsewhere, chief executive officer of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham explained more about the Phase 3 works.

“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 and the airport, Ballymun and Finglas, and to the planned Glasnevin Metrolink station,” she said.

Máirín Ó Cuireáin, Waterways Ireland’s Dublin development manager added that these works “will link Spencer Dock in Dublin 1 with Maynooth in Co Kildare, where the Royal Canal Greenway goes all the way to the Shannon”.

Waterways Ireland advises users of the Royal Canal in Dublin between Lock 1 at the North Strand Road and Lock 5 at Phibsborough that cycleway upgrade works have recently commenced on this stretch of the canal.

Facilitating these works will require closures of the canal towpaths in the area over the upcoming months through the spring and summer period, with diversion signage erected where applicable, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Meanwhile, navigation of this area will still be possible during these works, though some additional restrictions may apply. Any affect on planned passage will be advised at time of making contact, it adds.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Shannon Navigation that replacement of the upstream lock gates at Clarendon Lock is ongoing and the lock will now reopen for navigation on Friday 3 March.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, February had been the original target date for reopening of the lock in Co Roscommon after its closure for works on the lock gates on 1 November last.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users on the Barrow Navigation that the construction of the Athy Distributor Road Bridge has progressed to stage three with the bridge deck installation.

Resulting from this, new navigation and pedestrian management measures enable the navigation channel and trackway in this area will remain open to users.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the new road bridge is being built some 30 metres downstream of the currently disused Wolfhill Railway Bridge in Athy, Co Kildare

Masters of vessels are advised of the following:

• Navigation is restricted to the navigation channel only for all vessels and water users, including canoes, PWCs etc.
• Follow the safety and directional signage.
• Follow the instructions of safety personnel who will be present on the navigation during crane lifting operations.

Trackway users are advised to follow the safety and directional signage; and to follow the instructions of safety personnel who will be present on the trackway during crane lifting operations.

Masters of vessels and trackway users are advised to exercise caution in the vicinity of the works. Further temporary closures and restrictions will be required for the refurbishment of Wolfhill Railway Bridge, with details to be advised in due course.

Waterways Ireland and Dublin City Council have launched a new study that considers the outdoor recreation opportunities of the Grand Canal and its towpaths and land resources in Dublin’s south central area.

The jointly commissioned report by Irish Leisure Consultants, titled The Grand Canal Recreation Activation and Animation: Portobello to Kylemore Road, is informed by the views and knowledge of local communities and stakeholders as well as the ambitions of national and local strategies and plans.

The area in question has limited on-water activity at present, even though it has one of the longest stretches of the canal in the city with no navigation locks.

The Grand Canal and its towpaths represent a significant opportunity to unlock the potential of this inland waterway asset for local communities, Dubliners and visitors to the city.

The consultation process identified positive, strong and diverse connections among residents and communities with this section of the Grand Canal, including recreational uses, environmental stewardship, heritage, and active travel. The report emphasises the importance of balancing of opportunities and responsibilities to increase quality of life and provide for a diverse range of needs and interests.

The report also recommends a collaborative approach, with an initial programme of community-based activities and leadership training to enhance a sense of place and develop perceptions and engagement with the canal, followed by the physical development of a series of links, nodes and zones along the canal.

In spring and summer this year, the project partners say they will work with local stakeholders to pilot a number of on-water activities and explore sustainable initiatives to unlock the potential of the city’s Grand Canal.

Waterways Ireland advises users of the Grand Canal Greenway that the greenway section from Digby Bridge to Sallins in Co Kildare will remain closed until the end of February for continued works on restoring the Four Pots overflow structure.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Four Pots is a unique structure located alongside the Grand Canal towpath between the Leinster Aqueduct and Digby Bridge.

Its four circular channels of varying depth helped reduce the water pressure and volume rate before discharge from the canal back to the River Liffey through a series of channels, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users on the Barrow Navigation that the construction of the Athy Distributor Road bridge is under way and has progressed to the stage where interaction with navigation and trackway users is required.

The new road bridge is being built some 30 metres downstream of the currently disused Wolfhill Railway Bridge in Athy, Co Kildare.

The navigation and trackway will be closed to traffic between the 28th Lock at the Horse Bridge and Ardreigh Lateral Canal to facilitate the lifting and placing of new bridge beams on Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 January from 7am to 12pm each day.

In an update, Waterways Ireland confirmed that the navigation and trackway will be closed for a further two mornings on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 January for the same.

Masters of vessels are advised to exercise caution in the vicinity of the works and to follow the instructions of safety personnel in the area.

Further temporary closures and restrictions will be required for bridge deck installation and Wolfhill Railway Bridge refurbishment, details of which will be advised in due course.

Following the pre-Christmas warning over an off-station marker on the Shannon Navigation, Waterways Ireland advises that a temporary red marker has now been installed in the relevant area north of Athlone.

The temporary marker is in place of the port-hand lateral marker on the south side of Inchmore Island on Lough Ree.

Masters of Vessels should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the island, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users the Shannon Navigation at Lough Ree that a port hand lateral marker on the south side of Inchmore Island is currently off station.

Masters of vessels should proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of Inchmore Island north of Athlone until further notice.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterway users on the Erne System of the following in relation to the operation of Portora sluice gates near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland over the Christmas period:

If the sluice gates are in operation on Sunday 25 December, there will be no navigation as the control house for the lock gates will not be manned that day.

If the sluice gates are in operation on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 December, there will be a reduced operating window. This will be from 8am to 6pm on both days.