Ireland’s longest bridge is set to open today

887m long and it took 2.5 million work hours to complete.

A new bridge named after John F. Kennedy’s mother is set to open today (29 January) - close to the former US President’s ancestral homestead.

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge will be officially unveiled by Taoiseach Leo Vardakar, along with its namesake’s great-granddaughter, Rose Katherine Kennedy Townsend. The bridge will cross the River Barrow between Wexford and Kilkenny and is part of a €230m upgrade to the N25 New Ross bypass. At 887 metres, it overtakes the 230-metre River Suir Bridge in Waterford as the longest in the country. On average, a workforce of 300 people was employed throughout construction and approximately 2.5 million work hours were completed on site to bring the scheme to fruition. The 15km scheme represents an investment in the order of €230 million in the region and it's expected to ensure shorter and safer journeys for road users while improving accessibility to New Ross and the wider region. The official opening ceremony takes place today and the road will open to traffic on Thursday at midday. A statement from Wexford County Council reads: "The opening of the N25 New Ross Bypass, combined with the recent opening of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy motorway in July 2019 represents the completion of another vital link in the overall connectivity and accessibility of Wexford, Kilkenny and the entire South East Region." Main image via Wexford County Council