Tom Clarke Bridge Travel Guide

The Tom Clarke Bridge, more commonly known as the East-Link Bridge, is the easternmost road crossing of Dublin's River Liffey. Officially named Tom Clarke Bridge in 2016 to honor Irish republican Thomas Clarke, it's a bascule-type lifting bridge that connects North Wall to Ringsend.Opened on October 21, 1984, the bridge was the first privately funded major road in Ireland in the 20th century. It was designed to ease traffic congestion and facilitate the movement of HGVs around the port area. The bridge features a lifting span that opens to allow river traffic to pass, typically raised several times a day.While primarily functional, the Tom Clarke Bridge offers impressive views of Dublin Port and Dublin Bay. To the west, one can see the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the city center. Dublin Port is planning to construct new lifting bridges, one for pedestrians and cyclists and the other for internal port traffic. The project is expected to start in 2027 and be completed around 2029.