Two footbridges across mouth of river for Volvo Ocean Race finale

Date Published: 23-Apr-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

Two temporary pedestrian footbridges – linking Nimmo’s Pier to Long Walk and the Spanish Arch to the Claddagh – are to be constructed as part of the plans for this year’s Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale.

And a Fourth of July parade and fireworks spectacular will be held during the nine-day festival, which is set to attract at least 400,000 visitors and provide a boost of around €80 million to the local economy.

The Events Application – now on public display in City Hall – by organisers Let’s Do It Galway and the City Council provides details on the series of events that will take place around the city and Salthill from June 30 to July 8. The public can make submissions until May 24.

The organisers had previously planned a temporary footbridge over the Corrib towards Wolfe Tone Bridge – those plans have now changed, and one-way footbridges are to be built from Nimmo’s Pier to Long Walk and from the Spanish Arch to the Claddagh Basin.

Organiser John Killeen told the Sentinel that a final decision has not been made, but the Health and Safety Authority had advised them to build one-way bridges because of the huge number of people expected.

This year the areas which will be used for the Ocean Race are the harbour (bordering Merchants Road, Lough Atalia Road and Long Walk), South Park, Eyre Square, Spanish Arch/Claddagh Basin, Toft carpark in Salthill, the main carpark in Salthill, the Promenade including Blackrock and at St Nicholas’s Cathedral.

There will be a total of seven bars.

Events over the nine days will include concerts, boating displays and in-port racing, trade exhibitions, children’s activities, a fireworks display, ice rink, Global Village, fun fair and promotional events.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel