Narrow Water Bridge

NFD100

I drove past the area last week and a lot of fresh clearance on the Co. Louth side...

Mr Cumulonimbus

Another month or so will decide the fate of the bridge as regards it's funding according to the Irish Times.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/narrow-water-bridge-project-hangs-by-a-thread-1.1544141

Mr Cumulonimbus

Looking like the end for this project now. European funding of €17.4 million has been withdrawn by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB).

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1115/486955-narrow-water-project/

iopener

Wasn't to be unexpected its been dragging on now for far too long, € 17 odd millions let slip through our fingers. I get a feeling that we will talking about this project for a long time

Chris_5339762

I am still of the opinion that whilst this would be a lovely project, this will be used by people as a southern bypass for Newry and the links to the ROI M1 are just not suitable for that.

Sheldons Brain

I expect it can still attract EU funding future years, but they will need to have a proper costed design for the bridge that can be built for the budget.

cargo

This one might not be dead in the (Narrow) water just yet (see what i did there? )

While looking for the latest on the A5 over on the excellent Wesley Johnston site I noticed this project. "A1-A2 Newry Southern Relief Road / Bypass" They are at stage 2 of the route assessment and one of the routes uses a new crossing at narrowwater. This might help put this bridge back on the map.

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/newrysouthernreliefroad.html

marno21

I wouldn't be surprised if this went ahead in addition to the Newry relief road.

The road network around this proposed bridge isn't good enough to act as a southern relief road for Newry.

marno21

Varadkar has namechecked this project during a recent speech in Belfast:

Leo Varadkar wrote:

As part of this, we are working on our ambitious multi-annual 10-year capital plan to be finalised by the end of 2017. This will outline investment in roads, in public transport, in energy, in water, in schools, in higher education and in hospitals and health facilities. This capital plan will include detailed funded plans to complete the national road network, including links between Dublin and Derry-Londonderry and Donegal. We remain committed to contributing £75 million to the construction of the A5. In this context the Irish Government will also give consideration to other infrastructure commitments including the Ulster Canal, the concept of the Narrow Water Bridge, and improving line speeds on the Dublin to Belfast rail line. This 10 year capital plan will also accelerate delivery of Ireland's critical public transport infrastructure and will include substantial investment in the ports and airports that Ireland will need as a successful, global trading nation – infrastructure of benefit to the people and businesses of both parts of this island.

Read more at: http://www.derryjournal.com/news/in-full-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-s-belfast-speech-on-north-south-relations-1-8088100

discodaveirl

£75m approx €90m.. Can we not find some better use for this money. Expansion of the new childrens hospital, M3 - M7 Outter M50 Ring rd. Bit much expecting us to pay a contribution to the A5 when every Irish HGV crossing the border has to pay a toll.

Alun

I agree, an utter and complete white elephant waste of money. It's 17km into Newry and back out again hardly worth building a bridge for.

I see a ferry has started between Greenore and Greencastle which would be by far a more attractive proposition for any tourists in the area wanting to cross from one side to the other.

http://carlingfordferry.com/

Chris_5339762

Four years later, and €3m has been found, according to RTE.

Personally I think this is a good idea, it won't be as useful as the Newry Southern Bypass, if that happens in the next decade, but I still think it'll be useful - provided it doesn't end up getting used for the same purpose and clogs up mountain roads.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0629/1231922-narrow-water-bridge/

loyatemu

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Four years later, and €3m has been found, according to RTE.

Personally I think this is a good idea, it won't be as useful as the Newry Southern Bypass, if that happens in the next decade, but I still think it'll be useful - provided it doesn't end up getting used for the same purpose and clogs up mountain roads.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0629/1231922-narrow-water-bridge/

you mean provided it doesn't generate more traffic? It will.

Aontachtoir

loyatemu wrote: »

you mean provided it doesn't generate more traffic? It will.

I honestly don't understand this objection. If "but this will lead to more people moving around more easily" is accepted as reasonable grounds to oppose investment in transport infrastructure, then no investment whatsoever can be justified (including PT, which still allows people to live far away from their places of work, shops, etc). Maybe that's the point, I guess.

Separately, the bridge looks good. Hopefully it goes ahead.

Chris_5339762

It will, however my fear with this is that it'll be used as a Newry Southern bypass - the mountain roads are nowhere near good enough for that. For sure I'd be using it for that.

loyatemu

Aontachtoir wrote: »

I honestly don't understand this objection. If "but this will lead to more people moving around more easily" is accepted as reasonable grounds to oppose investment in transport infrastructure, then no investment whatsoever can be justified (including PT, which still allows people to live far away from their places of work, shops, etc). Maybe that's the point, I guess.

Separately, the bridge looks good. Hopefully it goes ahead.

not an objection, more an observation.

Pete_Cavan

Tender for document management software and services on this project, would suggest that it should progess to construction in the not too distant future.

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/203396/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/publictenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE

Chris_5339762

Excellent, keep the wheels turning on this one please!

cargo

Looks like we are going to build this whether they like it or not on the other side :-)

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/1117/1336770-bridge-tender/

veryangryman

Why do people call things like this a "waste of money". Will make things far more accessible for the north east and even god-forbid ecourage more cross-border tourism

In a modern world where every knob out there wants to block class road projects, Its imperative that labels like "waste of money" are ignored and mocked. Plenty of good projects cancelled already. This is a (small) bit of karma for the motorist.

Chris_5339762

To be honest, everyone wants this one, north and south (apart from a small minority up north). For tourism this one is an absolute no-brainer - although I still fear there will be some use of this as a de-facto Newry Southern Bypass, with the mountain roads just not up to it.

cargo

This will be great for the area if it is built. It will be busier than people think.

The Newry Southern Bypass IF it ever goes ahead will compliment this crossing. The road isnt that bad up along the canal to where they are talking of building the loop up the side of the mountain so it'd be ideal to come across here and up to the link road. However as with everythign up North at the minute IF IF :-)

https://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/newrysouthernreliefroad.html

Pete_Cavan

It's great that the bridge will have segregated cycle lanes as the cycle infrastructure there is developing either side of the border so a link there will be a big boost.

Pete_Cavan

Contract awarded, apparently to BAM, and construction to begin soon;

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2024/0513/1448966-narrow-water-bridge/

Kermit.de.frog

"Several years" just to build a bridge like that. Between planning and construction projects take way too long here.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154964#Comment_122154964

Official sod turning ceremony today. I'm puzzled as to why this will take 3 years to complete. Surely sections of the bridge will be constructed off-site and brought to the location when needed?

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0604/1452895-bridge-louth-down/

Cookiemunster

I see the amateur structural engineers are out again. Just a 200m cable stayed bridge and associated roads to be built. Sections should definitely have been precast before the contract was even awarded to speed up the project 🙄

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122226526#Comment_122226526

"Sections should definitely have been precast before the contract was even awarded"

Erm, nobody has said this……

Cookiemunster

The most likely (and common) construction method is that the towers will be poured in situ (not a straight forward job looking at the angles) and that the bridge deck will be delivered precast. There is nothing unusual about this process taking up to 3 years to complete.

Act Fast

Fairly ugly looking yoke.

joeymcg

I'm amazed they were allowed build this so close to a Round Tower. It's not as if they were tight on space or anything.

Photo: Seehigher

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/pVBK7crHJeHwqdsP/

quodec

It's not a medieval round tower. It's a 19th century navigational aid for vessels using the river.