The Mayor of Fingal Cllr Eoghan O’Brien has officially opened the new €2.5m Baldoyle to Portmarnock walking and cycling greenway project, a vital first phase of the overall Sutton to Malahide Greenway Scheme.The 1.8km greenway, which enjoys spectacular views over the coastline is located in the Racecourse Park, will allow cyclists and pedestrians to travel through the park parallel to the Coast road linking Baldoyle with Portmarnock.Co-funded by the National Transport Authority, the route was designed by Atkins, taking specific account of the coastal setting and ecology of the area and was constructed by Murphy International. It features a three-metre wide cycletrack and two-metre wide footpath separated by a 2.4-metre wide grass verge, with short sections of shared used paths at some points along the route. Design and planning work on the next phase of the project, linking the greenway to Sutton and Malahide, through Portmarnock village is already underway.The Sutton to Malahide Greenway will ultimately link into the Broadmeadow Greenway which was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála last month and which will connect Malahide and Donabate across the railway viaduct. Mayor of Fingal Cllr Eoghan O’Brien said: “I am delighted to formally open the Portmarnock to Baldoyle Greenway. It’s a wonderful new facility for local people as well as visitors to the area. It is the first section of what will be the Sutton to Malahide Greenway route, which will also tie in with the Broadmeadow Way, and ultimately the Fingal Coastal Way.“Since access was opened along the route, it has been heavily used by walkers and cyclists. It is a stretch of road that had previously had no footpath whatsoever, and that’s why the local councillors insisted that this stretch be the first piece of the Sutton to the Malahide cycleway because it was very important piece of infrastructure that was missing.”Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said: “I am delighted to be here for the official opening of the Portmarnock to Baldoyle greenway. We will be going to consultation for the next part of this greenway, linking from here through Portmarnock village into Malahide and that will complete the link from Baldoyle to Malahide.”