Bridge fix to cost Council more than expected

Seamus Enright

The cost of the maintenance and repair of Corroneary Bridge near Canningstown is to far in exceed the initial €40,000 set aside by Cavan County Council for the works.
Closed at first to facilitate Bord Gáis Networks work on the €4.5m 18km feeder gas pipeline to Cootehill from the existing Above Ground Installation (AGI) near Bailieborough, it was discovered when routing the line over Corroneary bridge that the linkage was in need of major structural repair.
Damaged several years ago, the bridge has since been completely closed off by the Council.
The matter has prompted locally elected Fine Gael Councillor John O’Hare to make a ‘special case’ to Deputy Joe O’Reilly and Minister Leo Varadkar with the view to the local authority getting a once-off funding allocation to deal with the problem.
Councillor O’Hare told The Anglo-Celt that since the bridge was closed, the cutting off of the main route between Cootehill, Maudabawn and Bailieborough was causing great hardship to the local community.
In the Road Works Programme 2013 Cavan Council set aside the sum of €100,000 for Bridge Inspections and minor maintainence.

Preventing access
“The closure of this bridge is preventing access to the local Post Office and Shops, it is stopping Milk lorries and normal traffic from passing through. Locals have had to make detours of more than a few miles on perilous, narrow roads to go about their normal business”, he said. “I am directly appealing to Minister Varadkar to take action here”.
Then bridge closure, which locals say came without warning has also angered people living in the area.
One local resident told The Celt: “No explanation was given to anyone in the area as to why it was being blocked off. So now all of us who use this road have to make long detours. This comes on top of having to put up with laying of the gas pipe between Bailieborough and Cootehill, diversions, trenches being dug with uneven surfaces left in its wake.
“This is a rural community, a lot of farmers are doing a lot of work at this time of year.”
Bord Gáis Networks are meanwhile continuing to pursue an alternative and temporary routing of the laying of the gas line in order to facilitate the supply of gas to Cootehill town and their flagship customer there, Abbott Ireland, “on schedule”.