Derry Accommodation - Craigavon Bridge

The Craigavon Bridge is one of two bridges in Derry, Northern Ireland. It crosses the River Foyle further south than the Foyle Bridge. It is the only double-decker road bridge in Europe. The present bridge began construction in the late 1920s and was finished in 1933. The lower deck of the bridge was originally a railway line, but this was replaced by a road in 1968. It was named after Lord Craigavon, a former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. The town of Craigavon in County Armagh is named after the same person.

A pair of bronze statues forming a sculpture entitled Hands Across the Divide are situated at the west end of Craigavon Bridge in Carlisle Square and were produced by Derry sculptor, Maurice Harron.

History
The first bridge over the River Foyle was a wooden one built in 1790. It was assembled in America and transported to Derry to be positioned in the Bridge Street area some 90 metres north of the present bridge. In 1863 a steel bridge (Carlisle Bridge) was erected almost where Craigavon Bridge is today – replacing the old wooden structure. The present Craigavon Bridge, built in 1933, is one of the few existing examples of a double-decker bridge in the United Kingdom. The lower deck was originally used for rail traffic, before being converted to a roadway.

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