BackRoyal Canal Urban Greenway
Appointed in 2017, by Fingal County Council and the National Transport Authority, DBFL were commissioned to provide engineering consultancy services in relation to an 8-kilometre section of the Royal Canal Greenway between Castleknock and Leixlip on the Kildare/Dublin county boundary.
The Royal Canal Greenway will tie in with the completed section of the greenway at Talbot Bridge (Old Navan Road) in the east and the Kildare County Council section at the county boundary in the west. Upon completion of the greenway, the Royal Canal stretch will complete the Dublin section of a national coast-to-coast cycle route that leads to Galway and will ultimately cover approximately 270km (NCN Corridor 2). This route is also designated on the EuroVelo Cycle Route Network EV2 from Galway through Dublin to London, Berlin, Warsaw and Moscow.
The subject 8km section is one of the more challenging sections along the route with significant constraints such as environmental designations and engineering challenges associated with the route’s proximity to the adjacent rail line and existing topography which consists of steep embankments through the ‘deep sinking’.
DBFL developed a comprehensive route options assessment which considered approximately 30 different route options within the study area which included solutions ranging from standard paved construction to structural solutions such as cantilevered boardwalks, retaining structures and pedestrian/cycle bridges. Route options were subjected to multi-criteria analysis to determine the preferred solutions including consideration of impacts on ecology, conservation, rail and canal operations and ultimate cost.
Greenways are combined cycleways and walkways, primarily intended for recreational use, which have been shown to rejuvenate communities and offer a high value experience for both tourists and the public. This route, while a greenway, will also function as a commuter cycling route, providing huge benefits for cyclists, pedestrians, and surrounding communities.