The city covers both banks of the River Foyle, with Protestants largely living on the east bank and Catholics on the west. The impressive Peace Bridge is attempting to bring the two sides closer together and, so far, it seems to be working.
In the past, many Protestants and Catholics have been reluctant to cross the river but the Peace Bridge has successfully tackled the divide. In its first three years, there were more than three million crossings and the landmark structure has become a real focal point for the city.
It has hosted New Year celebrations, the ceremony marking the launch of Londonderry’s City of Culture Year, provided the backdrop for BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and staged numerous charity events such as Brides Across the Bridge.
The S-shaped cycle and footbridge connects Ebrington Square on the east bank with Guildhall Square on the west and was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the firm responsible for Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which spans the River Tyne in England.
It is 312 metres long – about the length of two and a half football pitches – and its construction was funded by the European Union’s Peace III programme.
It took just 18 months to build and about 1,000 tonnes of steel, the equivalent of more than 140 double decker buses, were used to construct a bridge that many see as an iconic symbol of a new Northern Ireland.
