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# north strand
Locals angry anti-graffiti paint wasn't used on new cycle bridge that has already been vandalised
Dublin City Council said anti-graffiti paint was successful when it was used on Stoney Road in East Wall.
A NEW CYCLE BRIDGE at North Strand in Dublin has been destroyed by graffiti and locals are angry that anti-graffiti paint was not used.
One local told this website, “We should be ashamed, it’s not okay to vandalise public amenities that are costing taxpayers a fortune. It makes me feel sick.
It was a huge job that involved a lot of coordination, it’s such a shame to see it in its present condition.
It’s understood that anti-graffiti paint was considered as an option at one point but was deemed too expensive.
When asked about the paint, Tony McGee from the Environment and Transportation Department at Dublin City Council said, “Provision of anti-graffiti paint onto a bridge structure would depend on a number of factors as it is not a standard item.
Application was considered during the construction phase but it would have delayed the delivery of the bridge structure to the site which was scheduled with a temporary road closure of North Strand Road.
When asked if the cost of the paint was the reason it wasn’t used, McGee said:
Cost was a consideration at approximately €20,000 to apply the product to the entire structure.
He also said DCC Road Maintenance had “some reservations about the quality of the product proposed in terms of chemical compatibility with painted steelwork, effectiveness/life of product, maintenance cost, etc”.
However, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council told this website that anti-graffiti paint was successful when it was used by the council on a number of gable walls on Stoney Road beside the Dart line in East Wall. She said:
This was a regular tagging site and the application of the anti graffiti paint has deterred this activity.
The graffiti at the North Strand cycle bridge has still not been cleaned or repainted. TheJournal.ie asked when this would be done and how much it would cost, but did not receive a response.
Tony McGee said that while anti graffiti paint was not applied to the new pedestrian bridge at Newcomen, “we will consider using this product on our proposed viaduct construction for Royal Canal premium cycle route phase 2, due for construction later this year”.
He added, “We will also discuss using it on the new Newcomen Bridge with DCC Road Maintenance.”
Read: Good news for cyclists: This new 2km route along Clontarf has been declared open>
