The Gobbins Path, located in Islandmagee, Co. Antrim, is a dramatic coastal walkway located at the foot of the Gobbins Cliffs. The original path, which was opened in 1902, was designed and constructed by Berkley Deane Wise, a civil engineer with the Midland Great Western Railway. Prior to the Second World War, the Gobbins Path was as popular an attraction as the Giant's Causeway, attracting thousands of people. During the Second World War, the path closed due to lack of maintenance and upkeep. Attempts were made by the Ulster Transport Authority after the war to re-open the path, however, path was finally closed in 1954.
In 2013, Larne Borough Council appointed McLaughlin & Harvey to a £3.6M scheme to rebuild a 1.1km section of the path. Doran Consulting were appointed McLaughlin & Harvey's designer for the Design and Build project. The rebuilding of the path required the replacement of 22 bridges, including the iconic Tubular Bridge and Gordon's Leap Suspension Bridge. All the bridges were fabricated from marine grade stainless steel.
As well as the replacement structures, the design incorporated a path guarding system and upgrades to an existing lay-by and lane to facilitate tourist access. The project has been phased to accommodate the nature of the site, which is listed as an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), and sensitivity of working in and around breeding cliff top birds.