The Millennium Bridge Dublin, a new pedestrian crossing was designed to be lightweight, transparent, structurally daring and to sit comfortably into a prominent urban setting of considerable historical significance.

The 51m span was bridged using an arched portal frame, the large concrete haunches of which were contained within the hollow curved shell abutments. Using this solution, all horizontal and vertical forces were transferred directly to the high level rock of the riverbed, rather than into the quay wall. Also this resolution of forces enabled the truss to be made from very slender solid steel members, creating a sense of lightness and transparency.

As the busy quay roads could not be closed to traffic on a permanent basis, the Millennium Bridge Dublin was designed from the outset to enable most of the construction work to be carried out from the riverside of the quay walls from a pontoon barge moored in the river, with a high degree of prefabrication.