A replacement of the popular but long-out-of-use pedestrian footbridge at Clare Glen near Tandragee has taken a step closer to reality.
For the existing structure, it seems, is finally to be removed with that expected before the end of the year.
And Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has now gone out to tender to source a contractor to get the job done.
The contract – with an estimated value not far shy of £150,000 – also includes ‘enabling works’.
The deadline for tender has been given as October 13, with the work – subject to the contract being awarded – expected to begin at the start of November, with a view to being completed just after Christmas.
The footbridge has been out of commission since 2023 and a great cause for consternation among Clare Glen regulars.
A report to council in June 2024 said it had been closed “due to a deterioration in its structural integrity”.
It added: “This bridge made for a convenient crossing point for those who were unable to complete the whole circuit of the paths, or who wished to take a shorter walk along both sides of the river.
“The timbers underpinning the structure – and the support pillars across the river – have been examined by a structural engineer who declared them too hazardous for public use and beyond economic repair.
“Officers have explored options for a replacement of the structure, but the confines of the site mean that any new bridge would need to be of modular design, capable of being transported to the site using the existing pathways and constructed in situ.
“Such a project is likely to be complicated and hence expensive. Clearly there is a need for significant investment in the facility in order to deal with the immediate issues, reinforce the pathways and replace the bridge.”
While the working of the tender for the removal of the bridge does not reference a replacement, at this stage, that is expected to follow, with the news representing a major step forward.
Newry and Armagh DUP MLA Gareth Wilson – a former ABC Councillor for the Cusher area – has been active and vocal in calling for the need for action.
And he welcomed this week’s developments.
Mr Wilson told Armagh I : “I understand from discussions with the council that preparatory work is well underway for the removal of the existing bridge subject to securing, through council procedures, the necessary finances for that work, the hope being for the bridge to be removed before the end of the financial year.
“It is my further understanding that work in tandem is taking place to formalise a business case for the replacement of the footbridge and works to also address erosion on the existing path network.
“Engineering solutions are currently being assessed.
“This is positive news and I welcome the continuance of work on this matter; it is a project I lobbied for prior to leaving my role in ABC Council and taking up my role in the Northern Ireland Assembly.”
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