Overview
At 887 metres, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge is the longest bridge in Ireland, crossing the River Barrow at New Ross on three towers. Locally it is the Pink Rock Bridge or simply the New Ross bypass bridge. It carries the N25 36 metres above the tidal water, with a separate, gently graded path for walkers and cyclists along the side. Its two central spans of 230 metres each are the longest post-tensioned all-concrete extradosed spans anywhere in the world, which is the detail that draws the engineers.
History and naming
The bridge takes its name from Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of US President John F. Kennedy, whose people emigrated from nearby Dunganstown. The choice caused some local argument, but it stuck as a nod to the family’s Wexford roots. The structure is the centrepiece of the €230 million N25 New Ross bypass, a public-private partnership delivered by a joint venture of Invesis, BAM and Iridium for Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
Construction ran from early 2016 to late 2019, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar opened the bridge on 29 January 2020, with traffic crossing the next day. The bypass pulled chronic through-traffic out of New Ross town centre, leaving it quieter and easier to walk, and cut journey times between County Wexford and County Kilkenny.
The engineering
Arup designed the bridge with the Spanish bridge specialists Carlos Fernandez Casado S.L., setting tower heights and span lengths to the golden ratio. The central tower stands 27 metres above the deck and carries 18 stay cables; the two lateral towers are 16.2 metres with 8 cables each, set in a shallow harp arrangement angled between 9 and 11 degrees.
Building it leaned on high-strength C80/95 concrete, which let the box girder taper to just 3.5 metres deep at midspan. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag was maximised in the mix to cut the carbon footprint, and 90% of materials were sourced locally. The central pier sits on 42 bored concrete piles, each 1.2 metres across and driven 32 metres into the riverbed, with stainless-steel reinforcement in the tidal zone for the long haul.
The work has picked up a run of awards:
- 2021 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award
- 2022 fib Award for Outstanding Structures (Civil Engineering)
- 2021 IStructE Structural Award – Vehicle Bridges
- 2022 Irish Concrete Society Award of Merit
Walking and cycling across
The bridge is a key link in the developing South East Greenway, which will eventually run from New Ross to Waterford city along a former railway line. For now the New Ross to Glenmore section gives a 6km off-road route that crosses the deck. The separate path runs the full length, at a steady 5% gradient that suits most casual cyclists and families.
The crossing has clear sightlines over the River Barrow estuary, a candidate Special Area of Conservation, reaching the farmland and the distant Hook Peninsula hills on a good day. The deck is wide enough to keep walkers clear of cyclists, and the low cable lines make a clean backdrop for photographs. A structural health monitoring system tracks cable forces and deck movement around the clock.
New Ross and beyond
With the through-traffic gone, New Ross has loosened up, and its old streets, independent shops and quayside cafés are worth the stop. The Kennedy Homestead, the ancestral home of JFK’s family, is less than a mile from the bridge.
- Dunbrody Famine Ship – a full-scale replica of an 1840s emigrant vessel, with exhibits on Irish emigration.
- Hook Lighthouse – the oldest working lighthouse in Ireland, on a coastal drive from New Ross.
- John F. Kennedy Arboretum – a 623-acre woodland garden tied to the Kennedy heritage, with thousands of plant species and walking trails.
- Barrow River Cruises – seasonal boat trips on the tidal estuary, past wildlife and old quayside towns.
Getting there and practical information
By car – the bridge is on the N25 New Ross bypass; follow the N25 from Wexford or Waterford and the signage onto the bypass. Free car parks sit at the New Ross greenway access point and at the Glenmore entry on the Kilkenny side.
By public transport – Bus Éireann route 370 runs between Wexford and Waterford, stopping in New Ross town centre, a short walk or cycle from the bridge approach.
By bike – reach the deck via the New Ross to Glenmore greenway section. Bike hire is available in New Ross and Waterford, and the path is paved and suits hybrid and road bikes.
Key details
- Access: open 24 hours, year-round
- Admission: free
- Emergency contact: 1800 98 90 90
- Project website: Transport Infrastructure Ireland
- Greenway map: South East Greenway PDF
Come early or late in the day for the best light on the cables and the river, and leave time for the town centre before or after the crossing.